The Prince And Consort Of The Light
by Sweet-Hearted SilverEars
Summary: Link is in love. His Chosen Mate? Prince Ralis, of the Zora Kingdom. He knows that a relationship won't be easy, as he's the Chosen Hero of the Three Goddesses, but he'll do whatever it takes to win Ralis's love and affection, to make the sweet boy happy. Warning: MATURE ADULT CONTENT.
1. Chapter 1 The Hour Of Twilight

**Disclaimer : I do NOT own Zelda, or Twilight Princess, except that I have the game. If I DID own it, it would NOT be rated T, it would rated M, for Link/Ralis kissys. ;)**

**Okay, warnings people who are reading this. This is not going to be a happy little fic with singing blue-birdies and dancing-elves of the minature-variety. ****There will be happiness in it eventually, and very much love, but this is not a mushy little story, and is not for the faint of heart. Also, it will be very LONG, as it _is_ going to span the entire story-line of Zelda : Twilight Princess, and more! The chapters _will_ vary, from short to long, and inbetween, therefore, there will not be instant-updates, or always fast ones, like my other fics. You'll just have to be patient. I LOVE how this fic is going, and I WILL give it the respect that it deserves by not trying to rush it. I'm sorry if that bugs you, but I have to do what's right for the story, and this is it. **

**I DO, however, have the first EIGHT chapters completed, and will update when I choose, and reviews WILL help the cause! :)**

**Anyway, enough ranting, and thank you for understanding. :)**

**~SilverEars~**

**Chapter 1 The Hour Of Twilight **or** The Talk**

"Tell me… Do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls? They say it's the only time when our world intersects with theirs… The only time we can feel the lingering regrets of spirits who have left our world. That is why loneliness always pervades the hour of twilight… But enough talk of sadness… I have a favor to ask of you, Link."

Link turned to look at Rusl inquiringly.

"I was supposed to deliver something to the royal-family of Hyrule the day after tomorrow… Yes, it was a task set to me by the mayor, but… Would you go in my stead? You have… never been to Hyrule, right? In the kingdom of Hyrule there is a great castle, and around it is a Town, a community far bigger then our little village. And far bigger then Hyrule is the rest of the world that the gods created. You should look upon it all with your own eyes. It is getting late… We should head back to the village. I will talk to the mayor about this matter."

Link nodded, standing up when the other man did, taking hold of Epona's bridal, and they walked back across the bridge, Rusl locking the gates behind them, continuing past the spirit's spring until they reached Link's modest house on the outskirts of the village where Rusl's family was waiting for him.

Rusl nodded to him briefly, then took his wife's hand as they headed back to the main-village.

Colin smiled at him, and he smiled back, waving as he climbed up the ladder to his house, going inside to get some sleep before he had to work the next day.

He was out in minutes, completely unaware when Llia came from the village and took Epona to the spirit's spring.


	2. Chapter 2 Helping Friend Fado

**Disclaimer : Again, I do not own Zelda! Curse the Twilight for that... :)**

**Warnings : Angst, Depression, Obvious Homosexuality, Minor Ilia Bashing. You've been Warned! ;)**

**Thank You for your reviews! :**

**henslight and Awesomehat27.**

**Hopefully this chapter will help you form an opinion about how I'm doing in this particular universe. :) **

**I LOVE Link, even have a character I play with his name, so, I want to do it right! :)**

**~SilverEars~**

**Chapter 2 Helping Friend Fado **or** Stubborn Goats**

Link woke the next morning when he heard Fado calling for him loudly.

"Hey! Link! You there?"

He cursed softly as he got up, pulling on his clothes quickly and going over to the window to look out and down at him.

"Hey, you mind helpin' me herd the goats? They ain't listenin' to me lately!"

Link nodded, but he didn't speak.

Fado was used to his usual silence by now.

He left the window to climb down the two ladders to go outside, hearing Fado say, "Hey, where's Epona?"

He climbed down another ladder to get to the ground, going over to the other man and looking at him.

"C'mon, now, hurry on up an' bring Epona with you."

Link nodded again, starting to walk to the spirit's spring quickly to retrieve his horse, figuring that nosy Ilia had taken her there.

Oh, Ilia acted nice enough, especially to him, but he could sense that there was something rotten beneath her soft, feminine-exterior.

That's why they would never be anything more then friends, despite what he knew that she thought about.

She was like an annoying, little child to him, and he… Well, he could never give her what she wanted from him.

It just wasn't possible.

He sighed when he got to the spring, putting on what he had come to think of as his overly-pleasant-mask, smiling at her and looking toward Epona to make sure that she was all right.

Ilia turned to him, smiling sweetly.

"Oh, hi, Link. I washed Epona for you."

He stepped closer, rolling his eyes inwardly as Ilia continued to speak to him.

"Epona is a girl too, so you have to treat her nice like one! Oh, but listen, Link… Could you do something for me? Can you use a piece of grass to play that song for me? You know, the one that Epona likes?"

Link nodded, walking over to a patch of grass and picking a single-blade, lifting it to his lips, closing his blue eyes as the notes rang out, smiling when his horse whined and ran to him, reaching up to pat her nose gently, barely preventing himself from gritting his teeth when Ilia opened her mouth again.

Perhaps this trip to Hyrule wouldn't be such a bad thing.

He might meet his someone special.

The Goddesses knew, whoever he was, he wasn't here in Ordon.

It was much too small for that.

All of the men who were of the right age were married, or had children, except Fado, and he wasn't an option.

The man was completely oblivious to Link's loneliness, even after all the years that they had known each other.

"It's such a nice melody… Epona looks happy. Well, she's all prettied up now, so I suppose you can ride her back. But don't you make her do too much, okay?"

Link nodded curtly, irritated as usual that she thought that she had a right to tell him how to care for his horse, getting onto Epona and riding back toward Ordon.

He waved to everyone that waved to him as he rode into the little village, continuing on up to the goat-barn and enclosure.

"Sorry to get you over here in such a hurry, Link!" Fado called out.

"These guys have been awful skittish lately. They won't listen to a word I say. Sorry to ask, bud, but how's about you an' Epona herd 'em into the barn real quick? We ain't got much time, so you think you can do it for me?"

Link nodded silently, getting Epona into position.

"Much obliged there, bud!" Fado said.

"Okay, then, go on an' herd all these little scamps into the barn for me!"

Link rode Epona around the enclosure, herding all the goats into the barn quickly, pulling her to a gentle-stop next to Fado, looking at him and arching one blonde-brow inquiringly.

Fado smiled, nodding as he spoke.

"Link, Epona… Much obliged to both of y'all! I can cover everythin' tomorrow without havin' to trouble you, so just sit back an' relax, bud. Oh… But, uh, how 'bout today? Wanna practice with the fences? Just wait a spell, bud. I'll get the fences set up."

Link nodded, thinking that some exercise was just what he needed to take his mind off his slightly-dark mood.

"Hoo, sorry that took so long," Fado apologized a while later.

"Okay, then! Y'all ride all you want! Y'all get tired of ridin', just jump the gate and head back into the village okay, bud?"

Link rode around the enclosure, jumping fences until his muscles were sore, he was covered in sweat, and he could barely see straight, trying to out-ride his demons.

Fado had long-gone into the barn to sleep in his little-room there by the time he finally stopped the horse, used to his friend's odd riding habits.

Link was panting harshly and gasping for breath, Epona's sides heaving in and out with her inhales and exhales, making their way back home slowly.

Thankfully, everyone in the village was either asleep, or easy to avoid, so nobody commented on his horribly-exhausted appearance.

He dismounted once they reached his clearing, leading her by her bridle over to her small patch of grass near his home incase she was hungry, swaying on his feet as he filled her water-bucket with cool, clear-water from his tiny, hidden-well, patting her nose once before forcing himself to climb up his ladder, locking the door behind him as he went inside, collapsing atop his bed, not even bothering to undress, merely taking off his boots and falling immediately into a deep and dreamless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3 Colin's Gift

**Disclaimer : I do NOT own Zelda : Twilight Princess. *curses softly with vexation* :)**

**Warnings : Um, Irritation, Violence, Slight-Fear.  
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**Thank You for your reviews! :  
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**Lovely Alexandria (Thank you for taking the time to review. :) Well I won't be adding any new characters that I know of, it will get more original as it goes along, I promise. If I did nothing but what's in the game, it wouldn't take much talent, and this is going to take every bit of talent that I possess to complete, and I will! :) This chapter can be an example, as there's conversations in it that are NOT in the game. :) And, Link talks! :) Definitely not in the game! :)),**

**henslight (Yes, I agree. I won't be adding any new characters. At least, not for a while. Link's thoughts ARE important, but this is the first chapter where he actually talks. Which is not in the game. :)**

**Thank you for correcting me about Ilia! Really. :) I am so spazzy about getting spelling right it's not even funny. I WANT to be told when I mess up, because I have no Beta as I prefer to do it myself. It's been corrected in chapter 2, and I will continue to do so as I post the chapters that I have finished. If I don't do it, hit me with a virtual fish-boy, k? :)**

**Yes, Ilia is going to be a major bitch hiding behind sweet-smelling, deceptive flowers. :) No, I do not like her, and I'm not mad. I did the first time I played the game, and maybe the second, but not after that at all. Especially not now that I'm into yaoi. :) I would nominate her for Worst Zelda Character Ever, as well! :)**

** Wow... I think that's the longest reply that I've ever written to a review! O'o Which is good, and I don't mind, as I LOVE this story, and I want everyone to LOVE it and question how I'm thinking and correct my spelling all the time! :) So, Thank You! :) I'm glad that you like my writing! Unfortunately, yes. Ralis won't be appearing until he does so in the game, but I'm sure it'll be worth the wait. I've already got some of it written, as I did that first and then decided to go back and do a full video game story of Epic Proportions! :)),**

**Awesomehat27 (I recognize all my reviewers! Every chapter! :) I need them and their praise to have the steam to keep going! Especially on this story! :) Thank you! That's what I want to do is give it MORE then the game does, however difficult considering it's amazing details. :) I think Link's thoughts ARE important as well. Especially since he doesen't talk much. :) He'll do so more around Ralis when they meet, but that's about it. :))  
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**Chapter 3 Colin's Gift **or **The Slingshot** or **Rescuing Talo**

Link awoke with a groan the next morning to the voices of some of the children from the village, sitting up and putting a hand to his head, scrambling up his ladders to look out the window.

"Hey, wake up, Link!" Talo called loudly.

"It's morning already!"

He nodded, climbing back down, going out onto his landing and climbing down that ladder slowly.

Link approached them, sighing as he listened to Talo and Malo go on and on about a slingshot that was for sale at Beth's parents store.

He wandered over to Colin, looking at the young-boy with a genuine-smile when he turned to face him instead of Epona.

"Hi, Link… You have the day off work today, right? So… I finished the fishing rod I was making. Link, I figured I'd give it to you first thing in the morning, but… My dad said, "You just wait until Link comes to get it!" So I didn't bring it to you…"

"That's okay, Colin. I'll go and get it now."

"Really?"

"Uh, huh. I want to stop by the shop and pick up the slingshot anyway."

"Okay. I'll see you when you come back then?"

"Sure, Colin. I shouldn't be too long."

"Alright."

He nodded, smiling at him again as he headed on into the village.

He went to Colin's mother, who was heavy with child, smiling at her.

"Oh, um, good morning to you," she said quietly.

"If you are looking for my husband, he took his sword and left early this morning. But I must ask, Link… You have not seen a cradle come floating by here, have you? It is a baby's cradle made of finely-woven tree-bark… Oh, such a misfortune… How far could it have drifted, I wonder…"

"Don't worry, I'll get it back for you," Link promised.

"Oh, would you? Thank you, dear. I'd hate to be a bother."

"It's fine, really. It's no trouble at all."

"Really? Very well. Thank you, Link."

He nodded, smiling once more as he wandered off to find the cradle for her.

He climbed up a tall tree to the right of the shop, looking around, and eventually he spotted a monkey back in the small-cove that he often went to to be alone since not many people wanted to see him bad enough to get their clothes soaked from the long-swim.

Then he climbed back down, climbing up the vines on the second-platform to the right of the shop, jumping across the gaps between the platforms and the roof of the shop until he could go no father, plucking up a single-blade of grass and putting it to his lips, using it to call down a hawk, directing it after the cradle with a softly-spoken word that he forgot as soon as it passed his lips.

He caught the cradle, watching the hawk fly away, jumping back across to the roof and then down, walking back over to Colin's mother with a smile.

"Oh! Link! That cradle! Did you really go to the trouble of finding it for me? My thanks to you! Oh, that reminds me! There is something I am supposed to give you… Do you think you could carry that cradle and come with me back to my house?"

Link nodded, following after her slowly, not wanting to seem impatient and set off her expecting-baby-hormones and make her yell at him or cry.

She smiled at him again when they got there, sitting down on the porch.

"My thanks to you, Link. Yes, yes… I had nearly forgotten… I am supposed to give you this… All right… Here you go!"

Link smiled widely as she handed him the fishing-pole, already picturing all the fun that he could have with it.

"It is a little… unpolished," she said hesitantly, making Link snarl inwardly at her belittlement, intentional or not, of Colin's gift.

"My son, Colin, made this under the instruction of his father. You can use it if you like."

"I will," he said firmly, his tone at least respectful, if not his thoughts, leaving her there looking surprised as he headed across the bridge that spanned the river that flowed through Ordon.

He went around the back of Talo and Malo's house, (the one with the water-wheel) and pulled out his new fishing-pole.

He caught one fish and let it go, gasping in shock as the second one that he caught was stolen by Sera's cat, watching her run with it all the way to her master's shop and into the cat-door.

He went over to the shop, putting his new fishing-pole into his endless-pouch before shrugging and going inside, thinking that he might as well get his slingshot while he was here.

Sera smiled at him brightly in greeting when he walked in, then her green eyes went back to her cat, watching him lap up some milk from a shallow-bowl.

"Oh, my! Link! Come in! Oh, you simply must hear this! My little kitty-cat is so amazing! Today, he caught a fish all by his little old self! How do you think he caught it? Maybe he's a genius! Ohhh, just look… Isn't he so cute, the way he laps up that milk? Say, m'dear, why don't you have some, too! I'm in a good mood, so it's on the house today!"

She gave him the half-full bottle of milk, then turned her attention back to her cat, so Link cleared his throat to get her attention again.

"Oh, don't worry, you don't have to return the empty bottle, m'dear. You can reuse it - you know, put something else in it. Recycling is a very important thing, m'dear! I'm sure you'd never do anything of the sort, but kids these days toss things out like the whole world was disposable! It's criminal! So, what do you say, m'dear? Is there anything you want today? If you're interested, take a look around."

Link nodded, pointing to the slingshot on the wall behind her.

"I want that."

"What are you doing buying a slingshot, you naughty thing? You're too old for toys! Will you at least let the kids play with it? Oh, I should tell you, if you happen to run out of pellets, you can also use pumpkin seeds."

He handed over the rupees from the pouch that was attached to his belt, and she gave him his new slingshot with a smile.

"Thank you, Sera."

"Uh, huh. See you again soon, Link!"

He nodded, placing his slingshot in his magic-pouch that never seemed to get full, leaving the shop to head back toward his house and Colin, stopping when he saw Rusl.

"Ah, just in time, Link! I just delivered something to your room! Oh, I see you got the fishing-rod. Colin will be pleased. And it works better then you would think, right?"

"It works great," Link answered, actually allowing himself to glare a little for once.

What was with Colin's parents?

Couldn't they see what a great, talented, and creative kid they had?

"Um, right," Rusl said, looking taken aback by Link's sharp-tone.

"Well, have a good day off, Link."

He nodded, watching the man leave before walking over to Colin.

"Oh, hey, Link. Did you get it? I hope you like it…"

"I do, Colin. It's nice."

"Really? I wasn't sure if you would…"

"It's great, trust me. Works like a charm."

"Thank you," Colin said, beaming up at him happily.

"I'm glad. Aren't you off work today, Link?"

"Yes, I am. Do you want to do something together?"

"Uh, huh. Can I come over to your house later? We could hang out and talk. I mean, you're leaving for Hyrule soon, so…"

"Of course you can come over, Colin. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay."

Link smiled, nodding to him, then climbed up the ladder to his home, opening the chest and retrieving the wooden-sword that Rusl had honed for him, admiring the blade despite it's cheapness and strapping it to his back with a smile.

Then he went back outside, sighing softly when the other children called to him.

"Ooh, my! Isn't that a wooden sword, Link?" Beth asked curiously.

"Whoa… She's right! Talo said excitedly.

"Hey, can I see it for a sec? Seriously! Lately these monkeys have been coming out of the woods and playing tricks on us! We want to get them good! C'mon, teach us how to use a sword!"

"Alright," Link agreed against his better judgment.

"Yes!" Talo screeched, doing a little excited-dance as Link drew his blade carefully, getting into position.

"Alright! First off, we wanna see that move!" Talo instructed, making Link roll his eyes inwardly in reaction.

"The slice!"

He nodded, checking to see that all of the kids were out of the reach of his sword-arm as he swung the blade downward to hit the practice scarecrow.

"Wow! A horizontal slice!" Talo shouted.

"Was that it? Was it? I think I've seen you do a vertical slice before, too. All right, next…"

"Ooh! Ooh!" Beth interjected.

"I wanna see that other move, Link! The stab!"

"…Oh, please," Malo said negatively.

"The stab? Like it's that hard…"

Link snickered silently, stabbing the bucket scarecrow quickly.

"Ooh, Link!" Beth shrieked with glee.

"Just amazing! Since you're at it, how about you show us that other move… Y'know, that little twirly thing you do! I love that! What do you call it? A spin attack?"

Malo scoffed softly, rolling his eyes, but he didn't speak this time.

Link pulled back his sword-arm, holding his stance for a moment before throwing his arm forward forcefully, making the poor bucket scarecrow shake violently.

"Ooh, wow!" Beth spoke again.

"Thanks, Link! I'm sorry you have to waste your time with these little brats when you must be tired from doing all the important stuff you do!"

"Hey, wait!" Talo said.

"You gotta show us the jump attack before you go! You know, the one where you go "HYAAH!" and leap through the air!"

"Yeah, cause it's real tough to jump…" Malo huffed sarcastically.

Link sighed inwardly, jumping up into the air and slashing his sword across the scarecrow in a downward-motion, slicing it's bucket head in two and watching each piece hit the ground with a muffled-thump.

"Whoa!" all the child said together loudly.

"Thanks, Link!" Talo said with a happy smile.

"So, uh, I… I think I get it… Kinda… Hmm… Maybe not… So this means that any time one of those naughty monkeys shows up… Wah!" Talo yelled suddenly, seeing a monkey sitting a few feet away and staring at them curiously.

"C'MERE, you!"

Link blinked, gasping as all the children but Colin took off after the monkey quickly.

"No! Come back!" he called out.

But it was to late.

They were gone.

He ran over to Colin where he stood by the entrance to the village.

"Everyone went into the woods," the boy said, wringing his hands nervously.

"I wonder if they're okay…"

"I'll handle this, Colin," Link promised him.

"Go back to the village. Tell everyone what happened and stay there, alright?"

"Of course, Link."

Link nodded briefly, flashing the boy what he hoped was a reassuring-smile as he ran to Epona and got up onto her back quickly, turning her toward the forest and kicking her strong-body into motion.

He hadn't ridden very far when he came across Beth, stopping quickly for a moment.

"Talo and Malo went chasing like crazy people after that monkey," she panted, breathing hard.

"I can't keep up with those two…"

"Go back to the village now," Link said firmly, his tone allowing for no argument from her.

"Alright," she gasped out, nodding, her eyes wide as she watched him ride after the others quickly.

He rode out of her sight, stopping once more when he saw Malo.

"…They went that way," the youngest boy said.

"The rest is up to you, Link…"

"I'll handle it, Malo. Go back to the village now."

"Yes, of course."

Link nodded, riding Epona onward without another word to him, spurring her across the rope-bridge frantically, his blue eyes determined and shining with a wild-light that was soon to become as familiar to him as breathing.

He kept going, jumping the horse over a gate, barely glancing at the nearby pool as he rode her into a short-tunnel and out the other side quickly, gasping when Epona whined and reared up onto her back-legs, struggling to control her as she almost bucked him off her back in her fright.

"Whoa," he panted as he dismounted, patting her nose gently to calm her.

"Easy, girl. Guess I'm on foot from here, huh?"

He glanced at the dark-cave ahead a bit nervously, looking around when he heard someone call to him from a nearby clearing.

"Whoa! An Ordonian! Hey, guy! Listen, I'm not sure you should be wandering around the woods without a lantern. Just because it's daylight doesen't mean it's safe. There are a ton of caves and dank spots around here that get pretty dark even in the middle of the day. Here! Go on, guy. Take this!"

He handed Link a lantern, looking a bit serious.

"See, I sell lantern oil here… I'm trying to drum up sales by giving away free lanterns! It's a business tactic, guy! See, as long as you've got oil to fuel your lantern, you can light your way and set fire to stuff. They're the best! Go on, guy! Try setting a fire under that big pot!"

Link nodded, pulling the lantern out of his bag where he had placed it, along with the free oil, filling it quickly and swiping it beneath the pot, watching the wood go up in flames.

"That's right! See! It's on fire, guy! Yeah! You keep using that lantern anytime you feel the need. And if it runs out of oil, you come see me to get it refilled! I'm Coro, by the way."

"Link," he bit out shortly in reply, annoyed by the man's seeming constant need to talk.

"Thank you for your help, Coro, but I have to go. One of the children from the village where I stay might be in trouble."

"Oh, dear. Yes, by all means, go. I can't promise that I'll remember your name, but I never forget a face!"

Link nodded, heading back to Epona and the cave quickly.

As he moved toward the entrance he was ambushed by the huge killer-plant with teeth that had scared his horse earlier.

He dispatched the unnatural-thing easily, collecting the seeds that it left behind for his slingshot, and then kept going.

At the mouth of the cave, just before he went inside, he found Talo's wooden play-sword, storing it in his pouch to give back to him later as he started to run now, pulling out his lantern to light his way as he did so.

As soon as he got inside he lit the torch that he saw in front of him, continuing deeper into the cave.

He gasped as a bat flew into his face with a shrill-shriek, cutting it down with one hit and lighting the next torch.

He kept going, encountering another killer-plant, killing it as fast as he had the first one.

When he was stopped by a massive spider-web that stretched across the whole tunnel he shuddered, lighting it on fire with his lantern and watching it burn with a vicious-satisfaction.

Next he encountered a rat, killing it before lighting another torch, deciding to explore a side-tunnel, killing another bat and plant along the way.

He lit another torch at the end of the short-tunnel and opened a nearby chest, smiling widely as he found a yellow-rupee inside, placing it in his never-ending bag.

He went back to the room that led to the tunnel, collecting some more rupees by shooting down the clay-pots that hung from thick-strands of spider-silk with his slingshot before continuing down the next tunnel, burning another spider-web gleefully as he went.

Finally he got out of the cave, running forward to jump down off the end of a ruined-bridge without hesitation, falling the few feet to the ground and landing on his feet easily.

He ran forward, killing another plant and collecting it's seeds, leaping fearlessly into a fight with a goblin, tossing the blue rupee that it left behind into his pouch.

He kept running, following his instincts, which seemed to have sharpened once he had entered the forest, encountering another plant and goblin, throwing the green rupee in his pouch before turning to fight some bats that hung at the mouth of a cave, wincing when they shrieked as they died by his blade.

He went inside, killing another bat and tossing another green rupee into his pouch before running forward to kill a bat and a goblin, collecting a blue and a green rupee.

He opened the chest in between two unlit lanterns, not bothering to waste oil by lighting them, wondering what the small key that he found inside was for, shrugging and tossing it into his pouch incase he needed it later.

He found his way back to the ruined-bridge, starting again from there, eventually finding a locked gate guarded by two goblins.

He killed them quickly, pulling the small-key out of his pouch and unlocking the gate, tossing it back into his bag before killing a goblin on the other side of the gate and proceeding into the tunnel ahead.

He went forward into a large-clearing, dispatching two more goblins, going through another opening and killing one more, blinking in surprise when a bird with a huge, blue head spoke to him.

"Woo! Hey! Woo! You're super!" he called shrilly.

"Now just buy something! Hey!"

He shrugged and walked over closer to look around.

"Welcome! Hey! Buy something! Anything!"

He nodded, scooping up some of the red healing-potion into his by-now empty-bottle, placing the required rupees into the small-box beneath the bird's perch.

The bird thanked him and he left with a smile and a nod, continuing forward and climbing up an extremely steep and winding hill, thinking that he could hear Talo's shrill voice being carried to him on the breeze, panting a bit as he finally reached the top.

Despite his tiredness he dispatched the two goblins that were guarding a small wooden-cage that contained Talo and the monkey, cutting them lose carefully with his sword.

They popped out and Talo smiled, hugging Link around his knees tightly while the monkey clapped in the background.

Link took him by the hand gently and led him back to Epona, looking down at him when the boy broke the silence at last, wringing his small hands and looking guilty.

"If you hadn't come, Link… Gee, me and that monkey would've gotten eaten, probably! She's actually a pretty nice gal, that monkey… She tried to protect me, so we got captured together. Um, Link… You're not gonna mention this to my dad, are you? He's always telling me to never, EVER go into the forest, cause he says it's dangerous… So you really can't tell him! Really! You have to promise!"

The boy ran off in the direction of Ordon before he could answer, and he frowned, turning when he heard Rusl's voice call his name, watching the man come from the direction of Coro's clearing.

"My son told me Talo had disappeared into the woods and had not returned. I came as soon as I heard… But it looks like you have brought him home already… I apologize. Such a task should not fall to you."

"It's alright," Link said truthfully, shaking his head.

"I have to learn more somehow, right? It was good practice."

"Oh," Rusl said, looking surprised.

Then his expression turned more serious.

"Tell me, have you noticed how strange the woods seem lately? I feel… uneasy about what may lie in wait… Anyway, Link… Tomorrow is finally the day. You will be departing for Hyrule. I think it is a good thing I have given this task to you… Good luck and return safely! If you are lucky, you may even get to meet Princess Zelda!"

Rusl laughed loudly, acting like meeting the Princess would be a treat for him.

Link rolled his eyes inwardly as they walked back to Ordon together.


	4. Chapter 4 The Disagreement

**Chapter 4 The Disagreement **or **The Goblins** or** The Capture **

"Hey!" Fado called to him the next day, running up to the hill where Link sat in the goat-enclosure, speaking as he stood up to look at him.

"So, almost time for you to get goin', huh, Link? So how's about we finish up early today, bud? Why don't you call Epona to help us out?"

Link nodded, plucking a blade of grass and putting it to his lips, playing her song softly, his eyes closing as he called to his beloved horse.

She whined and came running from the direction of the village, having jumped over the fence, and he smiled at her, tossing the blade of grass aside and getting onto her back.

"Okay, then! Let's get started!" Fado said, grinning widely.

Link nodded, rounding the goats into the barn quickly.

"Hoo, boy, but y'all can herd!" Fado praised him.

"Well, that about wraps 'er up for today, so how's about y'all head on over to the mayor's place?"

Link nodded, waving to him briefly as he jumped Epona over the fence to ride down into the village and to the mayor's home.

The mayor and Ilia greeted him as he pulled his horse to a stop gently.

"Oh, done herdin' for the day, Link?" the mayor asked, smiling when he nodded in answer.

"Well, nice work."

Link dismounted easily, walking over to the other man, barely preventing himself from cringing when Ilia's father put an arm around his shoulders.

He knew that it didn't mean anything, especially since nobody in the village knew of his preferences, but it still made him tense up whenever he did it.

"The royal gift Rusl told you about is ready, so you should get ready for your trip to Hyrule Castle. Now, the royal family requested this gift specifically, so it's real special. It'd be… bad… if the representative of Ordon were to be late for such an occasion, you get me, lad?"

Link nodded, his blue eyes serious.

"I understand," he promised, rolling his eyes inwardly as Ilia approached Epona and started to talk to her.

"The path before you is a long one, my sweet horse… but please bear Link safely along it and back to me. Wait… What's this?"

She bent down to touch Epona's leg gently, looking at Link when he turned toward them.

"She's injured, isn't she?"

Link grimaced, looking at the ground, gasping inaudibly when she started to yell at him loudly, recoiling in unconscious-reaction.

"Link! How could you! You were pushing Epona to hard again! I bet you hurt her leg jumping fences, didn't you?"

"Now, now, Ilia, there's no need to get so hot with him," her father said placatingly.

"FATHER!" she screeched like a harpy.

"How can you be so easy on him? You're the MAYOR! You should start acting like one!"

The two men winced, looking at each other warily.

"You poor thing!" Iila said, taking hold of Epona's bridal and leading her away from them gently.

"It'll be all right, Epona. I'll take you to the forest spring right now."

Link and the mayor watched in shock, their mouths hanging open.

"Once we soothe you in the spirit's spring, you'll feel better in no time!"

"W-Wait! Ilia!" her father called, going after her for a few steps.

"Why, without Epona… The gift won't get delivered in time! Oh, this won't do…"

"Don't worry," Link said, the surprise in his blue eyes replaced with determination, and barely-hidden anger.

"I'll get her back. I won't be late, I promise."

"Good. Oh dear, do hurry, boy."

He nodded, starting off after his horse quickly, Beth's father stopping him along the way.

"Oh… Link… I hear you're leaving on an errand for the mayor today… Must be nice… Going on errands… I tell you, I wouldn't object to going to a bigger town to find stuff there I can sell… But my wife would never let me do anything like that…"

Link nodded, grinning inwardly.

That was another of many reasons that he didn't want a wife.

Woman were far too clingy.

It was just a part of their nature.

He waved to the man, starting off again.

He nearly ran into Colin in the clearing in front of his house, stopping just in time.

"…Link, are you going to see Ilia? Maybe it's just me… but those guys don't normally let people through… Um, Link, you think… you think we can go see Ilia together?"

"Sure, Colin. I'll handle them," Link promised him.

"And I'm sorry that we didn't get to spend time together last night."

"I am to, Link, but I know that you had to save Talo. It's okay. I'm going to miss you though…"

"I'll miss you too, kid, but you know that you can come visit me anytime you want to. I can arrange it easily."

"You mean that you're not coming back?"

"No, I'm not. I'm sorry, Colin, but I just don't feel like I belong here. This sword thing is the perfect excuse to get away without much fuss and just not return. It's for the best, truly."

"I guess I always knew that you weren't really happy here, or at least I did once I got old enough to notice it. I just want you to be happy, and if I can still see you like you said, then it's okay."

"Thank you, Col, for understanding. And you can visit once I'm settled, I promise. I'll keep you informed through letters where I am, when I can."

"Okay, Link."

Uh, huh. Now, let's go talk to Ilia, okay?"

"Alright," Colin said, hugging Link around the waist briefly before starting to follow along behind him.

He walked over to the children, sighing inwardly as Talo spoke.

"Hey, we've been waiting for you, y'know, Link. Yesterday was soooo much fun! Yeah, chasing that monkey was great! I was just telling Malo here about how we wanted to show it to him, but we let it go instead!"

"Oh, you didn't get caught, Talo?" Malo teased his older brother.

"Oh! Colin!" Talo yelled at him.

"Way to spoil everything by telling your dad. Nice job."

"Yeah, thanks a lot!" Malo snapped out harshly.

"We got scolded by our dad something awful. I thought it was never gonna end…"

"I bet you're trying to go see Ilia, aren't you? Well, there's no way I'm gonna let you pass!"

Link glared down at both of the children menacingly, causing them both to gulp audibly and move back a step nervously.

"Colin did the right thing," he said sternly.

"He obeyed me. You two are far to spoiled and willful to be good for you. Both of you could learn a lesson from Colin. And you will let us pass without complaint, or I'll pull you both over my knees and spank you right here in front of Colin and Beth. It's your choice."

"G-Go ahead," Talo stammered. "I-I'm sorry."

"M-Me too," Malo added.

"So you should be. And I want you both to stop teasing Colin. I mean it."

"W-We promise," they both said, at least looking sincere.

"Good," Link said, his face softening a bit as he patted them both on the head, unstrapping his wooden sword from his back and handing it to Talo as an afterthought.

"Behave, both of you, while I'm gone, alright?"

"Okay," they both said, nodding up at him.

"Okay," he said, smiling a bit.

"Now go have fun."

They smiled widely, running over to Beth and the bucket scarecrow eagerly.

"Link," Colin said quietly.

"Thanks… Those guys are always teasing me… What's so fun about swinging something like that around anyway? I hate it… It's scary… But when I grow up, I'm gonna be just like you, Link! I don't want to learn about swords or anything, but could you teach me how to ride a horse sometime? Can you? You have to promise!"

Link blinked, al little overwhelmed by all the emotions and questions, watching Colin run off to find Ilia before he could answer, shrugging and following after him.

Once he reached the spirit's spring he was surprised to find that the gate was locked.

"Link!" Colin called from the other side, unfortunately attracting Iila's attention.

She turned to glare at him, her green eyes burning as she addressed him coldly.

"If you came to take Epona back, you can FORGET it! Why don't you think about what you've done for a change! I won't open the gate until you change your attitude!"

"Iila, you don't know what happened yesterday…," Colin said.

"Listen, Link, I don't know if she'll listen to me, but let me try to explain about Talo and the monkey, okay? You crawl through the tunnel in back while I do, Link."

"Okay," Link said, smiling at him gratefully.

"Thanks, Colin."

The blonde-haired boy nodded, smiling back as Link backtracked to the small, cleverly concealed tunnel, getting down onto his hands and knees and crawling inside carefully.

Once he got to the other end he stood up, hearing the quiet murmur of Lila and Colin's voices as he brushed his clothes off and started toward them on silent-feet.

"I had no idea," Iila said softly to the boy.

"I hadn't heard the details about Talo's capture… But, Colin…"

Link moved closer, sighing inwardly in annoyance when Lila noticed him and tried to move in between him and his horse.

Epona snorted, her hooves moving as she sidestepped away from her.

"So you still prefer your master over me, huh, Epona? Don't worry about your horse, Link. Fortunately, it looks like the injury isn't to serious. You two can go on together. But, Link… Can you at least promise me this? No matter what happens on your journey, don't try to do anything… out of your league. Please. Just come home safely."

Link remained silent, not saying anything as she looked at him, as he already knew in his heart that he wouldn't be coming back to Ordon to stay.

Just as the thought crossed his mind there was a loud-crash as the gate to the spirit's spring crashed inward suddenly, goblin's riding in on boar-back, screeching and growling ferociously.

Link tried to get to Colin and Ilia immediately, but one of the creatures struck him on the back of the head with his club.

He fell to the ground, struggling to rise as he watched them capture the other two and ride off with them, the big fat goblin pulling out a horn and blowing on it repeatedly as his vision swam unsteadily before his eyes.

Link cursed inwardly at his own weakness and inability to do anything, wishing desperately for his wooden-sword even though he knew that it would be nearly-useless against the goblin's huge girth.

Thankfully the creature failed to see him, riding off after his comrades just as Link finally lost consciousness.


	5. Chapter 5 The Wave Of Golden Light

**Thank You for your review! :  
><strong>

**SoulPieces**

**I'm sorry that it's sooo short, but they'll be getting longer again for a while anyway soon.. :)**

**~Sweet-Hearted SilverEars~  
><strong>

**Chapter 5 The Wave Of Golden-Light **or **The Transformation **or **Being Watched**

He had no idea how much time had passed, but it was unnaturally-dark as he struggled to his feet, running across the bridge after the others on foot since Epona had bolted in fear of the goblins.

He kept going as far as he could, confused and angered by the barrier-of-darkness that blocked his way.

Suddenly, a large, clawed-hand shot through the dark-curtain, closing around his torso in a bruising-grip and yanking him through the barrier.

He gasped for air, feeling faint as he saw the rest of the creature, struggling to get free of it's clutches unsuccessfully.

He was shocked when he felt god-like power surge through his body, a flash of blinding, golden-light coming free from the back of his hand in a powerful-wave.

The creature shrieked as though in terrible-pain, tossing him away from itself instinctively.

He hit the ground, intending to rise and fight despite his poor-chances, but he wasn't able to, gasping loudly as pain flooded through every single nerve-ending in his body.

He screamed, the sound turning into a howl as the pain intensified, his tense-muscles begging for relief.

Then it was over.

Link slumped to the ground, sensing that something had changed about his body but not knowing what it was.

His blue eyes rolled back in his head and he lost consciousness for the second-time that day, completely dead to the world and its troubles.

He was unaware that he was being watched as the shadow-creature dragged him away by one leg to his fate.


	6. Chapter 6 Imprisoned

**Thank You for your reviews! :**

**VitaeUroboros (Thank You! :)), **

**Writer-Girl-19 (Yeah, mine too! I just ADORE Link, and I want to do him right! :) I just try to think how I would feel if I _was _him, which isn't too hard, as I've been doing it for years in RP. :) I can't wait for Ralis, either! He doesen't get enough attention in the game in my opinion. :) So, I'll fix that, in a very naughty, delicious way! ;))**

**~Sweet-Hearted SilverEars~**

**Chapter 6 Changed By Shadow And Darkness **or **Imprisoned **or **Meeting The Princess **or **Changed Back** **By Light**

When Link woke again he was in a jail-cell.

He struggled to his feet, gasping as he realized how he was changed.

He now had four paws instead of two legs, and one of them was bound to the stone-floor by a strong, metal-chain.

He growled instinctively, still not used to the many changes in his body as he scratched and bit at the chain in what he knew was a useless attempt at escaping.

His furry-ears twitched, swiveling on his head as he lifted his bright blue eyes from the chain around his leg.

Standing on the other side of the bars was a small, female imp-like creature.

She giggled, jumping up into the air and vanishing, somehow reappearing inside his prison with him.

The one eye that was visible was yellow, it's pupil orange and red as she stared at him intensely.

"I found you!" she said, revealing a single, tiny fang on the right side of her mouth as she smiled almost triumphantly.

He growled at her threateningly, feeling nervous and uncertain.

"Oooh! Aren't you scary!" she said teasingly, giggling at him again.

"Eee hee! Are you sure you want to be doing that? Snarling and glaring at me?"

Link didn't relent, still feeling unsettled as he crouched in front of her and got ready to pounce.

"Well, that's too bad… I was planning on helping you…if you were nice."

His ears twitched again, and he straightened up out of his crouch, calming down slightly as he looked her over cautiously, trying to assess her intentions towards him.

"Eee hee! That's much better! You humans are obedient to a fault, aren't you? Oops! But you _aren't_ a human anymore, are you?" she continued, tapping him under the chin lightly.

"You're a beast! Eee hee!"

Link growled, feeling anger surge through him, snapping at her hand in a rare show of aggression.

She jumped back, giggling again as she did so.

"There, there. You be a good boy and calm down. No need to bite!"

She put her tiny hands together, grunting a little in concentration as a ball of energy formed between them, setting it free quickly and watching it snap the chain around his front left paw.

Link jumped in reaction, his blue eyes wide as she moved closer to him, giggling again, her face right in front of his snout.

"You look kinda surprised! Eee hee hee!"

She moved back, teleporting to the other side of the bars as she continued to speak to him.

"So I bet you're wondering where we are, huh? Well, I'll make you a deal. If you can get over here, maybe I'll tell you! Eee hee!"

She beckoned to him with a small hand, making a big show out of stretching and yawning.

He nodded, breaking the wooden-crate that was blocking a small-hole in the bars with his body, digging his way under them through the dirt beneath to the other side.

She giggled again, jumping onto his back.

He panicked, preservation instincts flaring as he barked and growled in alarm, trying to buck her off unsuccessfully, his four legs quivering when he finally stilled reluctantly, rolling his eyes back in his head to look at her warily.

"Hmph!" she grunted as she managed to hold onto his fur.

"I guess you're not completely stupid after all! Listen, I like you, so I think I'll get you out of here."

Link sighed inwardly, wondering what the annoying-female would expect in return.

As though she had heard his thoughts, she continued softly, making him yelp in pain when she grabbed his right ear to lean in and whisper to him.

"But in exchanged for my help, you have to do _exactly_ as I say!" she told him, finally releasing his ear.

"If you need anything from me, just bark or something, alright? So, are we all clear? Good. Now, come on! Get moving!"

Link yelped again, growling at her a little when she hit him on the shoulder, but he nodded, heading over to the cell next to the one that she had helped him escape from, slipping through the open-door and looking around.

He looked up, seeing a chain hanging from the ceiling.

It had what looked like a handle on it, so he jumped up to grab it in his strong-jaws, surprised when a small-grate slid open in the nearby-wall, entering the opening and crawling out the other side quickly.

In front of him was a ball of greenish-white light, hovering a few inches above the stone-floor.

"Oh… Well, well… Eee hee hee! Want to see something interesting? You're a beast, remember? Use your senses to look around!"

Link nodded, moving closer to the ball-of-light, sniffing at it, blinking in surprise when a cringing-soldier holding a spear appeared, shaking as he spoke to himself.

"Huff… Huff… can't… run… any… father… That's… far enough… right? I'll be safe here… I think… What was that noise? Don't… Don't anything come near me!"

He felt sorry for the terrified man, wondering what had frightened him, but he knew that there was nothing that he could do to help him yet, turning to the right to walk along a ledge of stone, wishing that he knew where the hell he was.

"That was a soldier's spirit," the imp-girl on his back told him, her tone of voice implying that she knew everything and he knew nothing.

"Maybe it's someone from the other world? Eee hee! There are lots of other spirits roaming around here, you know. Use your senses to see them. They might know things…"

He nodded and kept walking, jumping across a small-gap in the stone ledge, turning right through another open-door made of bars.

"I doubt your used to your new body yet, so I'll just tell you…" she spoke up again, probably thinking that she was helping him instead of just irritating him.

"Think about how you fought enemies in your human form… Just because your shape has changed doesen't mean your instincts have as well!"

Link nodded again, moving forward, jumping down when the ledge ended and turning right, climbing back up onto the ledge and grabbing another chain with his teeth, opening another grate and causing water to pour in.

He turned around, going back the way that he had come and jumping into the water, swimming forward across some submerged-spikes.

He climbed up onto another ledge, shaking water out of his long, gray-black fur, walking until he encountered another scared soldier with a spear.

"What are these black things…" he gasped out, his head turning left and right repeatedly as he trembled.

"Where are they coming from… And how do we get out of here?"

Link sighed and swam across to another ledge, finding a third chain that lowered the water-level again, then backtracking and turning right from where the soldier stood, walking until he could go no further.

The Imp-Girl floated off his back and over yet another gap in the ledge, turning back to look at him with a smile once she teleported through the bars.

"This way! Over here!" she called to him.

"I'll be waiting for you, but you'll have to help yourself for a change!"

He sighed, jumping down into the ankle-high water and sniffing around a little, finding a small tunnel-like hole on the right side of the stone-passageway.

He crawled in, his belly nearly dragging through the dirt as he emerged into a small-cave, straightening and walking forward up a slight-incline to spot another soldier.

This one was curled up in a corner, shaking as well, his hands covering his helmeted-head.

"Please… I am but a lowly soldier. Please… someone save me from these evil creatures… Ahhhh!"

Link dug around in the dirt, finding a blue rupee, feeling his invisible, never-ending pouch suck the money inside for him since he couldn't access it while he was in this form.

Then he turned left, exiting the cave.

The Imp-Girl jumped back onto her place just behind his shoulders, giggling again when he looked back at her calmly.

"Eee hee! Awww, did the detour tire you out, little wolf? By the way… Are you using your senses like I told you to? It looks like the spirits in here… They're all soldiers. Where in the world could we be? Eee hee! You want out of here, right? Okay! We're off!"

Link turned right once she had finished speaking, running up some stairs.

He studied the gap in the ledge in front of him with narrowed blue eyes, thinking that he just might be able to make it across.

He leapt, gasping as the stone crumbled out from under his paws and he fell into the water, rolling his eyes inwardly as she scolded him.

"Ugh… What are you doing?"

He climbed out of the water and back up the steps, going back to the now-wider gap and barking for the Imp-Girl's help reluctantly.

"I guess I have to do _everything_ for you… Look, I'll show you all the small ledges, so just jump to where I am!"

She floated over to the ledge and he jumped across to her, moving forward and jumping over two more gaps, then another, climbing up a large, broken stone column to get to her again, jumping up to a higher ledge quickly.

He kept going up the steps for a while, crossing a long length of rope carefully to the other side, going up more steps and across three more gaps easily.

He came out into a large, circular room with a grate-floor, killing three bats when they came after him with shrill-shrieks.

Then he climbed up onto some broken, stone blocks, barking for help again.

"So…" she said teasingly.

"You know where we are yet? Eee hee!"

He looked up when she did, following her gaze, seeing a small, open door high up on the wall.

"Well… If you go to the top, you might figure it out!"

It took him four huge jumps to get up to the door.

He went through it quickly, emerging out onto the roof of wherever he was.

"So," she spoke up again.

"We were finally able to get out. And look at the sky! Isn't the black cloud of twilight looking beautiful today? Do you know where this is? You _still_ don't know? Eee hee hee! Look, there's someone I want to introduce you to… but I'll need you to go to that tower to do it!"

He nodded, jumping down and going forward, climbing up some steps, going down a steep-incline of stone and then onto another ledge, stopping when he saw another soldier.

"So there are ever spirits up here, huh? This whole spirit thing is pretty new to you, isn't it? Even though these guys can see those monsters, they don't know a thing about you! If you think I'm lying, why don't you check it out? Use your fine senses… Eee hee!"

The soldier's face held pure-terror, his hands shaking around his spear as he looked around himself.

"What… What are these monstrous birds? What in the world is happening here? Ah, our poor Hyrule Castle!"

Link turned right, thinking, listening when the Imp-Girl spoke to him again.

"Eee hee! That wasn't the person I wanted you to meet, by the way… Well, let's just try and get to that tower."

He nodded, pushing a wooden-crate with his head, climbing up onto it then to another ledge.

He jumped down into a circle-of-stone, killing one of the monster-birds when it came after him and turning left, jumping across two more gaps before killing a second bird quickly.

Then he went left onto a wooden-platform, calling for the Imp-Girl's help again.

"Look!" she said in response.

"Just a little farther!"

He jumped three times under her direction, landing on a blue-tiled roof and walking along its peak, killing three more monster-birds when they initiated an attack, collecting more rupees from various small, wooden-crates that were scattered over the roof.

He climbed up onto a ledge and through a stone-window, jumping down onto the stairs and going up them, entering through the small-gap in the double metal doors and stepping into the room cautiously.

A cloaked-and-hooded figure stood by a large window with it's back to them as it looked out at the darkened-sky.

He growled at the figure instinctively, blinking when it turned and gasped softly in response, shutting his mouth.

This must be the Princess Zelda that everyone talked about.

"Midna?" she said, sounding shocked.

Midna?

Was that the name of the Imp-Girl?

It must be, because that definitely wasn't his name.

"Eee hee!" Midna giggled, sounding sarcastic as she continued to speak.

"You remembered my name? What an honor for me…"

The princess looked down at Link, her eyes holding curiosity.

"So, this is the one for whom you were searching…" Zelda said calmly.

"He's not exactly what I had in mind," Midna answered her jokingly.

"But… I guess he'll do."

Zelda knelt down in front of him, looking at his left paw. (the one with the broken chain on it)

"…You were imprisoned?" She questioned him softly.

"I am sorry."

"Poor thing," Midna said, patting his head between the ears.

"He has no idea where this is or what's happened… So, don't you think you should explain to him what you've managed to do? You owe him that much… Twilight Princess! Eee hee!"

The woman sighed, turning her head to look at him again.

"Listen carefully… This was once the land where the power of the gods was said to slumber. This was once the kingdom of Hyrule. But that blessed kingdom has been transformed by the king that rules the Twilight… It has been turned into a world of shadows ruled by creatures who shun the light…"

Zelda placed a gentle-hand on Link's furry forehead; there was a brief-flash of golden-light, and a memory ran itself in front of his closed-eyes.

He watched in horror, held still by the Princess's power as shadow-creatures descended on the throne-room, attacking the castle-knights when they tried to defend their princess, pinning them down to the floor while a tall, armored man entered the room.

"It is time for you to choose : surrender or die," he said, addressing the princess coldly.

"Oh yes, a question for all the land and people of Hyrule… Life? Or death?"

The two guards near the princess gasped, and she tensed, finally dropping her sword in unspoken-surrender.

Link growled silently as he watched the castle burn, the people who were also watching slowly turning into greenish-white spirits like the soldiers that he and Midina had seen on the way up here to this room.

"Twilight covered Hyrule like a shroud," Zelda continued, Link's vision turning to black as the memories ended abruptly.

"And without light, the people became as spirits. Within the twilight, they live on, unaware that they have passed into spirit forms… All the people know now is fear… Fear of a nameless evil…"

His vision returned, and he was able to move as the princess continued to speak to him softly.

"The kingdom succumbed to twilight, but I remain it's princess…"

She lifted up her small hands, pushing her hood back to reveal her face.

"I am Zelda."

No duh, Link thought, rolling his eyes inwardly.

Who, by Farore, else would you be?

"You don't have to look so sad!" Midna said with a grin.

"We actually find it to be quite livable! I mean, is perpetual twilight really all that bad?"

"Midna… This is no time for levity. The shadow beasts have been searching far and wide for you. Why is this?"

Midna floated up off of Link's back, turning her back on the princess and sitting on air, shrugging her small, slim shoulders in response.

"Why indeed? You tell me! Eee hee hee!"

Zelda sighed, looking back to Link.

"Time has grown short," she said quickly.

"The guard will soon make his rounds. You must leave here, quickly."

Midna floated back down onto his shoulders at her words, and Link nodded, leaving the room quickly.

He started to run down the stairs, barely preventing himself from yelping when Midna grabbed him by the ears, tugging back on them to stop him.

"Not that way!" she hissed softly.

"The guards coming! Boy, he's prompt!"

She looked around, finally deciding to help him back out through the window that they had come in into the rain.

She floated out above the ridgepole of the roof, speaking again as he came up behind her quietly.

"Eee hee hee! Well? Do you understand where we are now? I guess a promise is a promise, so I'll let you go back to where you first tumbled into twilight… But…are you really sure you should be going back? Are you sure you aren't forgetting anything important?"

Link gasped when she turned into a screaming, wide-eyed Colin, and them Llia before his eyes, not impressed when she kept the girl's shape as she had obviously intended, knowing that she probably thought that Llia was more then his friend, and as such was merely toying with him.

"Eee hee! Do you want to save them?"

He nodded vigorously in answer, if only for Colin's sake.

"Well, in that case little Midna would be happy to help you! But… Well, you'd have to be my servant…and like a servant, you'd have to do exactly as I say! Why don't you go back, take a little time, and give it some thought. Eee hee hee!"

Link blinked, gasping as he watched himself disappear, reappearing back at Ordon Spring.

"Oh, that's right. I forgot to mention one thing… Though you may have left the darkened realm, you haven't transformed back to your former self…and you won't anytime soon! Now why could that be? Eee hee hee! See you later!"

Midna had vanished.

He moved toward the entrance to the spirit's spring, pausing when he heard a voice.

"So, um, what next?"

Midna popped up out of his shadow, hovering in front of him and giggling at the look of surprise on his face.

"Did you think I'd disappeared?" she asked teasingly, then her small face became more serious.

"Listen, there's another thing I forgot to tell you… Don't think you can just run off and save your friends, because you can't. Just beyond that bridge, the land is covered in twilight. Last time, a shadow being pulled you through the curtain of twilight… But if you want to go that way this time, you'll need the cooperation of someone from the twilight…like me! So you really have no choice but to do what I say. Saving your friends and all that… Well, that'll depend on your actions… Because you never can trust words, you know. Right now, I want a sword and a shield that'll suit me. You do understand me, don't you? Eee hee hee! So, what do you plan to do? While you're here dawdling, the twilight continues to expand. Come on! Hurry it up!"

Link rolled his eyes as she slid back into his shadow, but he set off at a running pace to the right for Ordon.

He killed a goblin just before he got to the clearing where his house was, collecting the green rupee that it had left behind, destroying two more in front of his house and collecting two more green rupees.

He started to enter the village, blinking in surprise when a little squirrel called to him from his kind-of porch.

"Wait! Thank you for taking care of those bad guys! They made both the village and the forest a mess… They kidnapped the village children… But I know…you're not one of them. I can tell because you smell like the trees of Ordon… If you run into any trouble, try talking to the animals. We animals understand one another, so you'll be alight!"

The squirrel ran off before he could thank him, so he shrugged and headed into the village, seeing Beth's father staring up at the stars from the platform next to the store.

"Ohhh… How did it come to this?" he lamented quietly.

"The children… Please say nothing's happened… Please forgive your good-for-nothing father…"

Link sighed, heading toward him, instinctively wanting to comfort Beth's father, forgetting all about his own altered-shape for a moment.

Thankfully, he stopped in time, cringing at what he would look like to him, his mood turning dark as he headed across the bridge to Talo and Malo's house because he could see light.

The Mayor and the father of the two boys were talking to each other.

"Ohh! About the shield!"

"Hey! Not so loud…" the Mayor shushed him, looking around warily before continuing.

"…So, that shield in still in your house, right?"

"Uh, yeah, it should be in our storage loft."

"Good! Go grab it, quick as you can! Rusl got wounded pretty bad, so he can't go search for the kids. I'll take over for him."

"But Rusl had a sword, Mayor! And he _still_ got hurt! If you're unarmed, you're done for!"

"I'll be fine. The sword we were going to present to the royal family should still be at Rusl's house."

"Oh yeah? All right, I understand, Mayor. I'll hurry up and get that shield. You just wait here…"

Unfortunately they saw him then, spinning around to face him.

"Ohh," the Mayor said.

"No good! Run!"

They both ran away quickly, and Midna popped up out of his shadow again.

"That's not a bad bit of information you heard, huh? Ugh… Look at that open window. This village is full of idiots. So…" she said, looking at the water-wheel.

"We should jump up there…but from where?"

Link headed back across the bridge toward the shop, intending to get up onto the platform where Beth's father still stood.

Unfortunately, the man didn't seem to scare as easily as the other two had, because he called down a hawk to attack Link, agreeing with his earlier thoughts that they would see him as a monster.

"MON-MONSTER! You've returned for more, haven't you? My… My daughter… Return her! And take THIS!"

Link yelped in pain as the hawk pecked and struck him repeatedly, retreating into the shadows quickly as he didn't want to hurt the bird.

Sera's cat approached and spoke to him, apologizing for the man's behavior.

"Were you attacked by that hawk?" he meowed questioningly.

"You're no match for him… I'm sorry! That person calling the hawk is my master's…husband. You could sneak up from behind and scare him, meow."

Link nodded, climbing up onto a small-rock and barking for Midina.

"C'mon," she said when she popped up.

"Let's get up on the roof from here and scare that guy. Look at him…posing like he's all important… Wait until he sees us! Eee hee hee!"

She flew up to the roof of the shop, and Link jumped up after her quickly.

He jumped across to where the man stood, laughing inwardly in amusement when he screamed and jumped into the water below.

He barked for Midna again, jumping down onto the water-wheel then up onto the roof, going in the window quickly.

He jumped down off of the top-bunk of the bed that he had landed on, clambering up onto the table and barking for Midina.

She popped up, giggling again.

"Eee hee! Found it! Found it!"

She helped him jump up to the storage loft, and he knocked the shield off the wall, gripping it in his teeth and giving it to her, surprised when she put it on his back.

"It looks… Kind of cheap… All right, then… Next is a sword. Hurry up and get one!"

He nodded, climbing up onto the ledge of a nearby window, jumping out and into the water, wincing at the cold and the loud-splash that his body made.

His furry ears twitched when he heard Rusl speak.

"What was that sound?" he asked his wife.

"The children could not have returned… could they? I must go out and search one last time. You get inside the house. I have placed the sword that was to be our gift to Hyrule on the couch. If the Mayor comes for it, please give it to him."

"But, darling…" Colin's mother protested.

"Your injuries!"

Rusl reassured her quickly, limping a bit as he walked down the dirt-path that led up to their home.

Link climbed out of the water, shaking his wet-body, feeling uncomfortably damp as he started toward their house quickly to retrieve the sword, careful to stay to the shadows as he did so.

He slipped around behind the house, ignoring the chicken there, digging his way in under the wall and collecting the sword off of the couch.

"All right…" Midna said, popping up out of his shadow again.

"So now you have a sword. Looks like you can actually be useful when you concentrate! All right… No more detours. I'm going to take you back into the twilight. Go back to the woods where you first transformed into that shape!"

Link nodded and started to head back in the direction of the spring once he had dug back out of the house.

He walked by his former-house, starting to run past the spring, halting in his tracks when a soft voice, almost like falling leaves, called out to him.

"Wait…Come…to my spring…"

He walked into the ankle-deep water cautiously, the last time that he was here clearly still fresh in his mind.

"You have…been transformed…by the power…of shadow…come…to me…"

Link started forward, gasping as rocks covered in glowing, red runes fell from a red portal that formed in the sky, forming a mostly-transparent shield that blocked his way to the spirit.

"Beware… A shadow being… It approaches…"

A creature like the one that had locked him up inside Hyrule Castle fell from the portal as the spirit had warned him.

Link's fur stood on end, and he growled threateningly, not helpless this time as he jumped at the creature without any hesitation, his wolf's face twisted with hate as he tore the monster's throat out viciously, blue eyes wild as he washed the blood off his muzzle thoroughly.

The monster's body vanished, the portal lifting the barrier away, and it got darker, the rocks encircling the spring lighting up with green runes, the water turning to gold.

A drop of water fell into the spring from the moist-rocks overhead, the spirit appearing to Link, revealing itself in the shape of a shining goat.

"O brave youth…" it spoke softly.

"I am one of four light spirits that protect Hyrule at the behest of the gods. I am Ordona. The black beast you slayed was a shadow being. It had come to seize the power of light I wield."

A memory started to play before Link's eyes much like had occurred with the princess.

He watched helplessly as the light was stolen from the other spirits, cringing inwardly at the sounds of their tortured-screams.

"My brethren in Hyrule have already had their light stolen by these fell beasts. The entire kingdom has been reduced to a nether world ruled by the cursed powers of darkness."

A second memory formed, this one of Hyrule Castle blanketed by twilight.

"The blight will not stop with Hyrule. Before long, the entire world of light will fall into the hands of the king who rules the twilight."

His vision returned so that he was looking at the goat-spirit once more.

"To save this land from the king of twilight, the lost light must be recovered. The three light spirits who have lost their light must be revived. There is but one who can revive them and redeem this land… You. You still have not discovered your true power… Those transformed by twilight usually cannot recover their original forms… Unless… If you were to return to Faron Woods where you were first transformed… If you were to revive the light spirit… There, by the power of the light spirit, you may find the means to regain your other state of being…"

The light spirit vanished, the spring going dim again as he headed off toward the bridge again.

He went across quickly, running until he reached the curtain of twilight.

Midna popped up out of his shadow, grinning as she spoke.

"Hey… Look… The Faron Woods that you know so well… They're now covered in twilight. You might not be able to come back here, but… Do you still want to go?"

Link nodded in answer, watching her float through the barrier, unable to restrain a yelp of pain as she yanked him in behind her roughly.

The woods were indeed covered in twilight.

"Hmm! So these are the weapons you use in your world?" Midna asked him.

Link glanced back at her, laughing inwardly as he saw that she had the shield over her face.

Then he gasped, ducking quickly as she swung the sword a few times, obviously having no idea what she was doing.

"You really think this thing can slay the creatures of twilight?"

She dropped the sword into the ground by his paw, the shield onto his head, covering his eyes and making him freak out a little.

"…Well, I won't use these, but I'll hang onto them for you!"

She snapped her tiny fingers and the weapon and shield vanished into the air.

"All right, a promise is a promise… I trust you enough to help."

She leaned forward on his back to whisper in his right ear.

"In exchange for my help, though, I need you to gather some things for me. Look, I can't tell you all the details now, but it'll be easy, trust me… But enough about that. Do you hear that noise? It's the lamentation of the spirit that had it's light stolen… Where in the world could it be? Eee hee! Better get going, don't you think? Don't blame me for your worlds fate if you don't hurry up and find that light! Come on! Snap to it!"

Link sighed as he ran forward again, growling as he was stopped by yet another barrier, three monsters falling from the portal.

"Aww… We're penned in again!" Midna exclaimed over the sounds of the creatures vicious-sounding growls, and Link's.

"Pffft! Who do they think they're dealing with? No need to take these little pests on one at a time, right? You can take them all at once! So… You can handle this by yourself, can't you? Good luck! `Bye!"

Link was shocked, and surprisingly hurt, when Midna flew outside the barrier, leaving him to face the three monsters alone.

He killed two, tearing their throats out, crouching to go for the third when the thing screamed, cringing in pain at the high-pitched screech, horrified as the other two shadow-beings were resurrected by the sound.

He ran over to Midna, strangely relieved as she floated through the barrier and settled herself onto his back again quickly.

"What's the holdup? If you leave the last one alive, it's just going to use that shriek to bring the others back. Listen, let me help you out here! Just move like I tell you! You just crouch down and I'll expand an energy field, so enclose all the enemies within it and then attack! You got that?"

He nodded, heading back to the middle of the clearing to face the creatures.

He did as Midna had instructed, dispatching them back to wherever they had come from through the portal.

He continued forward until he reached the next spirit's spring, stopping as it spoke to him softly.

"…Please…be careful… These woods…have changed… The dark clouds of dusk cover this land… This drape of shadows is called…twilight. In this twilight, those who live in the light…become as mere spirits… It is a place…where the dark ones and evil creatures dwell…I…am a spirit…of light… Blue-eyed beast. Look…for my light… Retrieve the light stolen by the dark beasts…and keep it…in this vessel."

The spirit gave him the vessel of light, placing it in his invisible pouch for him.

A memory of a map sprang up in front of his eyes, showing him where the creatures hid.

"In the shadows of twilight…the dark insects are as…invisible…as normal beings are here… Let me use the last of my power…to reveal the locations of the dark insects…that consumed the light…"

The map was removed so that he could see the spirit once again.

"…Find…the insects of darkness… The dark insects… They are the form taken by evil…once it has latched on to…our scattered light…"

Link nodded, heading into the tunnel that he had rode Epona through when he had rescued Talo and the monkey from the goblins.

He killed a twilight plant, then dispatched the first two dark insects, followed by two more twilight plants.

He headed right at the locked-gate, going into Coro's clearing, killing a dark insect that was on the left side of the house, then going right from the cold fire-pit and up a dirt- incline to a broken-ramp that had probably once extended up to what was now only a window and barking for Midna.

"Hm…" she said, looking at the open window.

"Looks like we can get in there!"

She floated up onto the small ledge, and he jumped up after her, going inside, down a ramp, and jumped twice to get to the ground-floor of the house.

He found Coro huddled on a crate in the corner under the ramp and shaking with fright at the sight of the bugs on the floor.

"Wh-What's with these bugs? Those things aren't normal! They're so big… So weird…

So creepy… C'mon, get away, bugs… Shoo… Get out of here…"

He killed the two insects, collecting the light they had stolen quickly.

"Wh-WHAAT?" Coro said, looking around in shock.

"They just… died? Oh, boy, I have NO idea what's going on around here…"

Link climbed back up to the window and went out.

He backtracked to the locked-gate and dug his way beneath it, taking out two more insects before entering the tunnel.

He killed a bat and kept going, following the light from the lanterns he had lit on his previous trip through these caves when he was still human, destroying a twilight plant, another bat and a miniature twilight beast before exiting.

The land before them was covered in a purple-mist, which, from it's hissing, Link guessed to be acidic.

He found two more dark insects on the rockface to the right of the cave, taking their lives quickly.

Then, not wanting to be burnt to nothing by the acid-mist, he looked for a safe route across.

He went as far to the right as he could go, noticing a small stump and barking for Midna.

"Hey… Think we can get across over here?" she said, floating out to hover over the stump to guide him.

He jumped four times to get to safety on the other side, climbing up a steep-incline and looking down on the deadly-mist filled valley.

Two tall formations of stone stood high enough above the hissing surface that he was able to jump across without coming to harm, landing in the core of what he assumed was a large tree that had died and fallen and been worn down slowly by the acid until it was hollow.

He killed three more dark insects and kept going, jumping across various stumps and branches, then up until he reached the top of a cut-off tree, jumping across three more branches quickly before the twilight plants that swayed on them could get him, landing on another broken, or burnt, tree on the other side, then across to another tree before a swinging-log could hit him.

He jumped down more stumps and pinnacles of stone till he reached solid dirt once more, killing two more insects before going through a short tunnel and into a clearing.

A barrier surrounded them again, and he dispatched three more shadow beasts, noticing part of a bridge leaning against the left rockface as he went into the next clearing, past the tiny shop of the bird with the big head until he came once again to the top of the huge, long incline where he had rescued Talo.

He saw the monkey that had caused that particular issue cowering from the last two insects.

"Yeek eek!" she squeaked, covering her eyes and shaking.

"Help!"

Link killed the two insects, and she spoke to herself again.

"Someone… someone helped me? Boy, lucky for me… Ever since the boss went funny in the head, there've been scary monsters everywhere… Those village kids got led through the woods for some reason… The whole forest is so weird now… What's happened?"

He frowned inwardly, thinking as he collected the last two tears of light, surprised when he was instantly transported back to the spirit's spring by the power of the light.

"The vessel of light is full of tears, and light has returned to this area!" the spirit said softly.

Midna skipped through the air to float above the spring, sitting down on air and crossing her small arms behind her head.

"Aww, but it was so nice here in the twilight… What's so great about a world of light, anyway? Eee hee hee! See you later!"

She disappeared with a tiny-grin on her face.

A drop of water from the trees above fell into the spring, and the spirit appeared before him.

It took the shape of a lemur with a very long, striped tail.

"My name is Faron. I am one of the spirits of light who dwell in Hyrule. By the order of the gods, I protect this forest. O brave youth… In the land covered in twilight, where people roam as spirits, you were transformed into a blue-eyed beast… That was a sign… It was a sigh that the _powers of the chosen one_ rest within you…and that they are awakening. Look at your awakened form…"

Link gasped as he looked down for the first time since the spirit had brought him back here and started to speak, stunned, relief and joy filling his blue eyes as he examined his familiar, slender hands, longing to touch and explore his body anew again after so long trapped as a wolf, but knowing that he had to wait, admiring his new clothing instead.

"The green tunic that is your garb once belonged to the ancient hero chosen by the gods… His power is yours. His is the true power that slept within you. Your name is Link. Brave Link… A dark power rests in the temple deep within these woods. It is a forbidden power. Long, long ago, I and the other spirits of light locked it away. Because of it's nature, it is a power that should never be touch by any who dwell in the light. But this world weeps beneath a mantle of shadows, and so there is no choice… You must match the power of the king of shadows. If you would seek this forbidden power, then proceed to the temple in the forest depths."

Link looked at his hand again once the spirit was gone, smiling happily.

Then Midna popped up out of his shadow.

"Well, well… You're the chosen hero and all that, huh? So _that's_ why you turned into that beast! What a shame… I mean, maybe you'd rather just wander as a spirit like the rest of them, totally unaware of what was happening for all eternity…right? Eee hee hee! So… What do you want to do? Do you want to head to that temple? Well, isn't that convenient! I was about to head there myself. Hey, look… You want to help your friends, right? The way I see it, maybe they're in that temple, waiting for you to rescue them… Well, good luck, Mr. Important Hero! Eee hee hee! See you later!"

She vanished and then popped up again, unable to let it go at that.

"Don't you think heading to the temple deep within Faron Woods sounds like a good idea? I mean, the thing I'm looking for is there, so maybe you'll find your friends there as well!"

Link nodded, lifting a hand to stop her when she moved to vanish again.

She looked surprised, staring at him questioningly as she waited patiently for him to speak.

Well, this was going to be the first time that he would actually speak to her since they had met in the dungeons of Hyrule Castle when she had rescued him.

"I'm going to help you, Midna, because you helped me, and more then just in Hyrule Castle, and I will do as you say most of the time, because, I'll admit I'm in over my head a little with all this and I need your help as much as you need mine, but I am not your servant. Consider me an acquaintance, at least until we know each other well enough to be considered friends, okay?"

The eye that was visible narrowed, studying his face.

He didn't know what she saw, but she smiled, revealing her tiny fang.

"I knew that I liked you, Link. That's why I rescued you. Or part of it anyway. There's just something about you. I saw you fight that shadow being before you met me. You must have been addled from that hit to the back of your head, not to mention being pulled through the curtain of twilight. I hear that it can be quite disorientating for a light-creature the first time, but still you fought back. And you tried to fight even after your transformation to beast. I was impressed. Not many humans would have the guts. None that I know of, actually. Not that I know many humans. Truthfully, you're the only one that I've ever actually talked to, but there's an inner-strength inside you. I can sense it."

"Really? Well, thank you, I suppose. It just comes naturally for some reason. Always has. I just don't accept shit from anyone. I may not talk much, but, when it's important, I get my point across."

"I can tell that you do."

"Okay. Good. So, I'll make you a deal. I'll go to the temple and help you get that thing that you want, whatever it is, and I won't ask any questions. As long as you keep helping me, I'll keep helping you, okay?"

"Okay," she agreed, nodding.

"Anything else?"

"Yeah, just one more thing. I want one hour before I have to start for the temple. I'd really like a bath while I have the time. Do you think you could give me some privacy for that long?"

"Sure. I can manage that."

"Thank you."

"No problem. I understand completely. Where I'm from… Well, perhaps I'll save that explanation for some other time, yes? You'll see me in one hour."

And, so saying, she vanished from sight again.


	7. Chapter 7 Bath Time

**Disclaimer : I do _not _own Zelda, or Link, sadly. :( But, I can toy with them all I like on here! ;) Yea for fanfiction and freedom of expression! :)**

**Thank You for your review! : **

**Writer-Girl-19 - Thank You for correcting me! :) Really. A big THANK YOU! :) I'll fix it in this chapter as well as the next one before I post them! Promise! :)**

**I hope you guys enjoy this! :) It's the first chapter with anything remotely sexual in it's contents. ;) So, heads up, (he, he... Oops.. ;)) Mature Content! ;)  
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**~Sweet-Hearted SilverEars~  
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**Chapter 7 Bath Time**

Link removed his sword and shield, setting them down near the spirit's spring, knowing that they would be safe there.

He took off his boots then, removing his belt and pouch before undoing the clasp at the neck of his new, green tunic, pulling it off and over his head, tossing it beside the rest, followed by his socks, tights, and undergarments till he stood there completely-naked.

He sighed softly, pleasure in his blue eyes as the slight-breeze caressed his bare-skin, ruffling his blonde-hair as he descended into the deeper-pool to the left of the spring, shivering a little at the difference in temperature between the water and the air.

He collected some soap-grass from the many clumps of it that were scattered around, storing most of it in his pouch for later since it would keep indefinitely, breaking a few of the blades that he had left in half, scrubbing the thick-liquid inside them into his hair, closing his eyes with a soft-moan as his fingertips massaged his scalp thoroughly.

He ducked his head beneath the water, his eyes still closed as he rinsed the suds from his hair, his glistening, alabaster-chest rising and falling with a breath when he surfaced, eyes trailing down his naked-body as he retrieved more of the soap-grass, breaking it quickly and tossing the empty-blades into the water as he had before.

His soap-slickened hands glided over his body, coating his face, arms, neck, and stomach before disappearing beneath the water to wash his feet, lower-legs, upper-legs, thighs and abdomen.

Then he rinsed again, gathering more soap to wash his back, the muscles in his strong arms flexing as he scrubbed, going lower to cup and kneed his ass-cheeks, sucking in a sharp-breath as his fingers accidentally slid into his sensitive crack.

He moved his hands back around to wash himself between his legs quickly, slicking his cock and balls up with the soap, going beneath the water again to rinse his back clean of suds.

Once he was completely clean, he left the pool, water droplets clinging to and sliding down his naked-body.

Link lay down on his back on the bank, preferring to air-dry, shivering as the wind blew through the grass, causing it to caress his bare-skin.

He lifted up his hands then, trailing his fingertips over his neck slowly, trembling as he moved them to his chest, a soft, needy sound escaping his lips as he pinched and tugged on his small, pink nipples gently.

He closed his blue eyes, imagining his hands as the hands of his special-someone, the one that he would love with everything in him as his hands descended lower and lower.

They swept down his chest to his stomach, lower-abdomen, then just barely brushed his half-erect cock, causing a quiet-whimper in response.

He sat up abruptly, reaching for his endless-pouch, opening it and retrieving his bottle of lantern-oil, opening it and pouring some of the liquid into his palm, setting it beside him on the grass as he laid back down and slicked up his cock with it thoroughly, giving it a shining and attractive, oily-sheen that nearly made his mouth water in response.

He started to stroke himself, barely restraining a moan at how amazing the slippery-liquid felt gliding over the pink-flushed ridges and creases of his arousal.

He paused for a moment in his stroking, opening the bottle of oil again, pouring some down between his ass-cheeks, slipping his fingers along the trail of liquid, thigh-muscles quivering as the tips brushed over his entrance.

He started to stroke his cock again, sliding two of his slender-fingers into his slick-hole carefully, spreading his legs wider and arching his back, his hand tightening around his shaft briefly as he moaned loudly, eyes shut tight as he stroked faster, pushing the fingers in further easily and wriggling them around inside himself.

Once he had relaxed enough that there was more space, he slid his other two fingers in as well, feeling uncomfortably full for a moment until his inner-muscles rippled and relaxed again, thrusting his hips, rocking up onto the fingers with a low-groan, panting as he moved both of his hands faster.

He stiffened, muscles tensing as he got closer, gasping and throwing his head back, screaming with intense-pleasure as he came, panting as he slumped back to the grass beneath him.

He smiled, eyes still closed as he calmed slowly, feeling tingles traveling through his twitching-muscles from the lingering after-effects of his climax, his racing-heart slowing back to it's normal pace steadily.

He tossed the bottle of oil back into his pouch, and, despite the fact that he really didn't feel like moving, got up and started to pull his under-garments back on, followed by his tights and socks.

He spun around suddenly, about to reach for his sword before he realized that it was Midna behind him, smiling a little in relief.

"Oh. Um, hi."

"Are you alright, Link?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I heard you scream."

"Oh. Well, that wasn't, um, what you thought… I was just, um…"

She blinked, seeming to study him closer with her one visible eye, realizing that his cheeks were flushing with color as he continued to dress, pulling on his boots and lacing them up.

She blushed in understanding, looking away from him in embarrassment.

"Oh. I'm sorry…"

"It's okay," Link answered, bending down to pick up his green tunic, shaking it to detach the bits of grass stuck to it like he had with the rest of his clothes.

"You were only concerned for me. I don't really care about your reasons why. At least someone does. You know, it totally figures that something like this would happen to me. I finally get the opportunity to leave this place for good so I can search for my Mate, without causing Llia to whine at me, and Hyrule suddenly turns into a nest for monsters that only I, with your help of course, can destroy. Yep, it totally figures…"

"I'm sorry about…about this, Link…" Midna spoke up softly, looking at him sympathetically.

"Why? You don't have anything to do with it."

"Yes, but… Wait, what do you mean, search for your Mate? Aren't you with Lila?"

"No, you assumed that I was with her. I knew you did when you taunted me by taking her form yesterday. Me and Llia never were anything, not even friends, and, despite her foolish ideas to the contrary, we never will be anything. She's an annoying bitch. She thinks that I don't see it, but I do. I'm going to rescue her, and the others, but after that I'll have nothing more to do with her. As soon as I get out of here, I'm _never_ coming back."

"Really?" she asked him in surprise.

"Where will you go? Where will you live?"

"I don't know yet. I'll figure it out eventually. For now, I'm just going to concentrate on helping you, rescuing Colin and the others, and look for my Special-Someone. I'm ready to settle down."

"Yeah? What do you think your Special-Someone will be like?"

"I honestly have no idea," Link answered truthfully, pulling his grass-less tunic over his head, smoothing the fabric with his hands.

"But when I see him, I'll know. I'll feel it. Inside."

"Him?" Midna asked curiously, watching Link strap on his sword and shield.

"You mean, you're?…"

"Yeah," he answered, cheeks flushing a little as he put on his belt, straightening his endless-pouch where it hung on the thick strip of leather, shrugging his shoulders as he looked at her.

"I like other men. I always have. There's just something about women that makes my skin crawl. I'm not saying they're all bad like Llia, but I can't give them anything more then friendship. It's just not possible for me. You're the only one that I've told any of this to, but I just feel like I can trust you for some reason."

"You can trust me, Link. At least with this. It doesen't really bother me like it does most humans. My people are much more accepting then yours are, not to offend you."

To her surprise, Link laughed, shaking his head in response.

"Trust me, I know. That's why I haven't ever told anyone. The way I look at it is, it was the goddesses who created all life, and if my behavior and choices don't offend the goddesses, why should they offend mortals?"

"It should not," Midna said simply.

"Exactly," Link agreed, nodding.

"But such things are rarely so simple to most people," she continued with a frown, sighing softly.

"Many no longer trust in the goddesses powers. I've already learned that in the short time that I have been in your world. They would rather rely on themselves then remember the higher powers that created them. It will only grow worse as the years pass. Parents will no longer tell the stories to their children, then they will not know them at all because their parents never told them the Tale Of Creation, or any of the other stories where the goddesses revealed themselves to us. The story of The Hero Of Time, you're his namesake. It was because of him that the goddesses first decided to allow unions of the same sex."

"Really?" Link inquired, his blue eyes curious as he sat down beside her on the grass, obviously settling down to hear a story.

"I never knew that."

Midna blinked her one visible eye, looking surprised, but she crossed her legs into a tiny triangle, laying her hands on her lap and getting comfortable.

"Well, long, long ago," she began with a small-smile.

"Several centuries, in fact, a baby boy was born to a young Hylian-mother in exile. She had left her home in Castle Town, the only home she had ever known, because her parents would not allow her to continue living with them and keep her baby."

"You mean they expected her to get rid of him?" Link asked, the anger in his eyes making them burn with a blue-fire.

"Yes, they did."

"But what of the father? Surely he could have taken her in? Cared for them both?"

"There was no father. At least, such was her claim. She insisted that she was yet innocent in matters of the flesh. That her child had been formed and given life within her by the blessings and powers of the goddesses. None believed her, so none bothered to try to verify her claim in any way."

"Why?" he asked incredulously.

"You'd think that they would be glad for her. She was granted a miracle."

"Yes, she was. But then, as now, the respect and belief in the three goddesses was dying slowly. The Temple Of Time, once a beloved and well cared for place of worship, was all but abandoned. The Three were grieved by this, understandably, but they still loved their creation. The land, the seas and waters, the people. They knew trouble was coming to Hyrule, so they sent them a hero in the form of a helpless baby. A baby who would one day save them from the enemy who had been given life by their own darkness, just as Link was born of the goddesses light. The woman, and her name is never mentioned in the stories, was chosen not only because she believed in and respected the goddesses, but because she loved them as though they were her own sisters."

"Why is her name never mentioned?"

"Because it was the goddesses who first recorded the story on a scroll and gave it to us. By then, none were alive who had known her, so none knew her name. I believe that they left it out for respect for her, because it certainly wasn't to protect her parents, and so that the story would be about her faith, not her. It was her trust in The Three that was important."

"I see what you mean. What happened to her?"

"She had a male-cousin who had married several years before she conceived and had moved to his new wife's home near Gerudo Valley. They had been close, so she decided to go to him for help until she could get her feet under her, so to speak. This ultimately proved to be her downfall, because the Embodiment Of Evil, Ganondorf, the very man her unborn-baby boy would one day defeat, set his depraved-sights on her with intent to make her his Consort. He was the mostly-undisputed King Of The Gerudo, since only one male-child was born to that tribe every one-hundred years. One of the many reasons that that tribe no longer exists for the most part."

"No…" Link whispered in response, his face paling at the thought.

Midna nodded.

"Such was her reaction to his overtures. It wasn't only that he frightened her, and he most certainly did, but that she had promised the goddesses that she would remain pure until their son came into the world. Once she realized that he wouldn't give up his evil designs on her, she prepared to flee. Remembering the Legends of the Kokiri Forest, she decided to go to the Great Duku Tree for protection for herself and her unborn-son. But her cousin's wife was jealous of her, and so betrayed her to Ganondorf. The Dark King flew into a great and terrible rage, pursuing her across the vast-fields of Hyrule, burning the grass and trees as he went, leaving a red-glow in his wake. When he finally found her, his eyes burned like red-fire and he had lost all sense of reason, raising his blade to strike. The goddesses tried to intervene to save her, but it was to late. The woman's piercing-scream of agony echoed over the hills as his sword pierced her shoulder, just catching the very top-edge of her left lung. Ganondorf stared down at her, his soul darkening even further as he made no move to help, watching her with a cold-satisfaction as she gasped for air, bright-red blood staining her pale-fingers as she coughed, her eyes dilated with pain as she stared up at him from where she had crumpled to the ground. He cleaned his sword in the grass, sheathing it at his waist before remounting his big, black stallion, not even giving her a backward-glance as he rode away. She was to uncertain of her ability to be steady to stand, not wanting to fall and hurt her baby, so she crawled all the way from the tall-hill just outside Lon-Lon Ranch into Kokiri Forest. The Kokiri, Children Of The Great Deku Tree, were afraid of her at first, but she begged them to take her to the Great Deku Tree. They eventually agreed, and a large group of them lifted her up and carried her to him. She pleaded with the Guardian Of The Forest to take care of her baby once she was gone. To keep him safe until he was ready to fulfill his destiny. The Great Deku Tree knew that this boy would be no ordinary-child, and so he promised to use all his considerable-power to conceal him from The Enemy Of All. And there, in the Great Deku Tree's clearing, she gave birth to a beautiful, tiny baby boy with soft, white-skin, short, blonde-hair, and brilliant-blue eyes. When the Deku Tree asked her what name she would give her son, she answered him, 'Link', for he would be the link that would keep the chain-of-life from breaking under the weight-of-evil. And so she passed from this world into the next, joining the goddesses where they sat together watching their creation, waiting for the day when a small baby boy would grow into a man who would save the human-race from slavery and oppression at the hands of The Ruler Of Darkness…"

"Wow," Link said, his blue eyes wide as he stood up and stretched.

"Now I really want to hear the rest of the story, but I think we'd better head for the Forest Temple. Maybe you could tell me more the next time we stop to rest?"

"Sure, Link. Let's go."


	8. Chapter 8 The Forest Temple

**Thank You for your reviews! :**

**Mazentius - Thanks for the correction. :) I've been corrected a few times, and there shouldn't be anymore problems. :) However, if there is, I've forgotten, as I'm sooo busy, and you may feel free to chastise me again. Thanks. :),**

**() - Thanks. :) I'll fix it now. :)**

**~Sweet-Hearted SilverEars~  
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**Chapter 8 The Forest Temple or Too Many Monkeys To Count or The First Real Challenge**

Link left the clearing and the spring behind, going through the tunnel again, quickly killing three mutant-plants along the way.

Then he turned right into Coro's clearing, walking up to him with reluctance.

"Hunh?" Coro said when he saw him.

"So… It's the Ordonian! You seemed familiar, but then your clothes seemed kinda different, so I got thrown off for a second! Listen… Things have been a little rough around here lately, so you should watch your step, ok, guy? There are so many monsters now… I got kinda scared and closed off the path to the temple. But… You, guy… You wanna get back there, huh? You sure do look geared up for it… So here you go!"

Coro handed Link the key to the gate, then he kept talking.

"Oh yeah… The woods on the other side of this cave are covered in really thick fog, so make sure your lantern is full! You're definitely going to need to use your lantern a lot in there, so bring all the oil you can! And check this out! I have a special, one-time offer of a bottle full of lantern oil for only 100 rupees! How 'bout it, guy? What a bargain!"

Link shook his head, nearly rolling his eyes.

As if he would ever pay such a ridiculous price for oil, even if he did have the rupees to do so.

"What?" Coro complained, leaning forward with a glum look on his face as if he thought that might change Link's mind.

"That's not right, guy… But I gave you that lantern for free… Man… I also sell oil on it's own, so come back when you run out, guy!"

Link left without a word, nodding as he did so.

He walked back to the gate and unlocked it, stepping into the dark cave with determination in his blue eyes, drawing his sword from its sheath as he went.

He killed two bats before he passed the first lantern, then a mutant plant and a third bat.

Next he encountered two rats, dispatching them quickly.

He shot the four pots that were suspended on strands of spider-web down with his sling-shot, collecting twelve rupees when they fell and tossing them into his endless-pouch before continuing on.

He exited the cave then, looking around for a moment, pulling his lantern out of his pouch because of all the fog that Coro had warned him about.

Then he walked forward, gasping as a monkey took his lantern right out of his hand, watching her run out onto the end of the half-bridge and wave the lantern around on a short-stick before gesturing for him to follow her.

Midna popped up out of his shadow, annoyance clear on her small face as she looked first at the monkey, then at him.

"Hey, what's this monkey's problem? You idiot! While you were staring off into dreamland, your lantern got stolen!"

Link sighed inwardly at her unnecessary harshness, following after the monkey without a word to her in acknowledgement since she had vanished again into his shadow.

The monkey guided him through the fog, only pausing three times while he dispatched two bats and a mutant-plant to clear the way for them, bouncing up and down excitedly for a moment when they got to the other side before dropping his lantern and running off through the open gate just ahead.

He retrieved his now-empty lantern from the ground, following after her as he placed it back into his pouch.

He went forward into the clearing, glancing briefly at the bridge leaning against the rock-wall before killing two goblins when they charged toward him, continuing into the next clearing, stopping when the bird with the light-green tail and big, blue head from before spoke to him.

"Hey!" he trilled sharply as he bobbled back and forth on his perch above the rupee-box.

"I've been waiting! Welcome!"

Link grinned, moving forward and filling his lantern with oil, giving him more rupees then was necessary.

"Hey! What a generous young man!"

He turned around to leave, and the bird spoke again.

"Thank you! Hey! Thank you! Come back sometime! Hey!"

He nodded, turning left and heading for the temple, drawing his sword warily when he saw a wolf at the foot of the steep hill that led up to it.

The wolf growled and crouched to spring when he got closer, so Link took a battle-stance, gasping softly in surprise when he felt himself falling, passing out seemingly without cause.

When he woke he was lying amidst white fog, or perhaps clouds, groaning faintly as he forced himself to his feet.

He could sense the wolf behind himself, but when he turned to face it there was an undead warrior in its place.

He stood there for a moment, uncertain if he was really a threat or not, but he lashed out with his sword automatically when he took a fighting-stance.

The man lashed out as well with the flat of his blade, knocking him flat onto his back and causing a bolt of fear to travel down Link's spine regarding his intentions considering his position as he stared down at him while he tried to regain his breath so that he could move.

Then the other man spoke softly.

"A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage."

He struggled back to his feet, panting quietly as he finally regained his footing.

"You may be destined to become the hero of legend…but your current power would disgrace the proud green of the hero's tunic you wear."

Link blinked in surprise at his words, but he lowered his head slightly in agreement as he looked back at him.

"You must use your courage to seek power…and find it you must. Only then will you become the hero for whom this world despairs. If you do find true courage, and you wish to save Hyrule from the horrors it now faces… Then you will be worthy to receive the secrets I hold! Enemies that are filled with energy will quickly recover and attack again even when stunned by a powerful strike. The ending blow is a secret technique you can use on stunned enemies to end their breath before they spring back into action. When an enemy lies collapsed on the ground and is stunned, leap high into the air and deliver a final strike. When the opportunity to end their breath is before you, do not hesitate. Now, try it on me!"

Link nodded, doing the same move that he had done earlier to knock him onto his back, then finishing the move exactly how he had instructed him to.

The warrior got to his feet with a nod.

"Hmm. That was a pinpoint strike. Never overlook your opportunity to end a threat. The first hidden skill, the ending blow, has been passed on! There are still six hidden skills for you to learn. Those are only for one who carries the blood of the hero…the one whose spirit is that of the sublime beast. Grow powerful. Test your courage. And when you find that you need another skill to overcome the threats that face you… Search for the statues that howl with the sound of the wind. Seek the sound that calls to the spirit of the beast to awaken me again. A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage. Remember those words… Farewell!"

Link woke to find himself back in front of the temple, once again lying on the ground.

He pushed himself to his feet with a groan, sighing softly before staring up the steep hill to the temple again.

When he finally reached the top he dispatched two goblins, one of them using the newly-taught ending-blow, collecting the blue and green rupees that they left behind and tossing them into his endless-pouch.

Then he walked in-between the two pillars to the entrance, grimacing a little at the large spider-web blocking the way, pulling out his lantern and burning it with a smile before putting the tool away again.

He went forward, emerging into a dark-tunnel, taking out his lantern again before killing a bat, cursing inwardly when he accidentally stepped into an ankle-deep puddle, the water quickly soaking his boots because he had to stop to kill a second bat.

He moved forward again, sword still drawn as he shook the water from his boots as best he could, emerging into a large room between two floor-lanterns.

Up ahead he could see a goblin guarding a small monkey that was obviously being held captive in a wooden-cage, so he walked forward between the two large pillars, killing a mutant-plant and collecting the seeds for his sling-shot, killing a second plant, followed by the goblin.

He stepped forward to free the screeching monkey with the pink flower behind her ear, recognizing her as Rosie, as he had decided to call her, cutting the cage away around her carefully with his sword.

The monkey popped out, bouncing up and down for a moment before climbing some vines, beckoning for him to follow her with both hands from the top energetically.

Midna came out of his shadow then, watching her in annoyance.

"Hey!" she said to him.

"That's the monkey that stole your lantern! Doesen't it look like she's beckoning you? Aren't you the popular one? Eee hee!"

Link rolled his eyes affectionately at her giggle as she vanished once more into his shadow, shuddering in revulsion as he pulled out his sling-shot and killed the two large, purple spiders that were crawling around on the vines, putting it away before climbing up them to join the female monkey.

She led him to a door-way that was blocked by a large, brown stone with a strange red-symbol on it, but he shoved it out of the way easily, and they stepped together into a room that was even larger then the previous one.

He went forward down a flight of wooden-stairs, the monkey trailing behind him, moving toward another flight of steps ahead, terror freezing the air in his lungs and his body when a huge spider lowered herself down from the ceiling to land at the top of the stairs and block his progress.

Rosie tried to push him forward, but he refused to budge, calming slightly when Midna came out of his shadow quickly, hovering up to place her tiny hand on his shoulder.

"What is it, Link?" she asked, her voice gentling when she saw the terror in his wide blue eyes.

"I…" he whispered, his voice shaking, while his body was frozen with his hand tight round the hilt of his sword, his fingers turning white with strength of his grip.

"S-Spiders frighten me…"

"Oh. It's okay, Link. You can do it, I know you can. Be strong for Colin. For your Special-Someone. Kill it for them."

Link's jaw firmed, determination replacing most of the fear in his eyes as he drew his sword from its sheath and ascended the stairs slowly while the monkey and Midna watched him.

He reached the top, striking the creature instinctively when it came at him, then two more times, stunning it, using the ending-blow quickly to kill it, sighing in relief as he dropped his sword and fell to his knees, his heart pounding and his entire body shaking.

The monkey and Midna rejoined him there at the top of the stairs, remaining silent as Link folded his hands and bowed his head, closing his eyes as his lips moved soundlessly, thanking the Goddesses for granting him the courage necessary for him to overcome his fear and destroy his first real challenge in Their name.

Then he pushed himself to his feet reluctantly, smiling when he felt Midna's small hand in his before she vanished back into his shadow with a smile, Rosie following him as he lit the four torches on the large platform with his lantern.

A small flight of stairs appeared and the monkey ran up them, gesturing for him to follow, so he retrieved his sword from the ground nearby, sheathing it before walking up the stairs toward her.

She ran to another blocked-doorway, but he turned to the right opening the dark-blue and silver chest that was there and finding a map of the temple.

Then he rolled the stone away for Rosie, finding himself suddenly outside in a very high, windy place, feeling wary of the heights as he watched the monkey head for a long rope-bridge, about to follow her out onto it reluctantly when a large, white baboon appeared on the other side of it.

He pulled out a boomerang, throwing it and cutting the ropes that held up the bridge with a clearly defiant-shriek, turning his back to them and smacking his own large, red ass tauntingly in their direction, shrieking once more before running off.

He blinked, wide-eyed at the baboon's offensive display, relieved when Rosie crawled back up the now-broken bridge, thankfully unhurt as she rejoined them quickly.

Midna popped up out of his shadow again to put her valuable rupees of thought in.

"Oh! What's going on? Has there been a monkey fight? Oh no! Now we can't go any farther. We might as well go back. I don't know what's going on, but it seems like she wants to take you somewhere, so maybe you should just follow her."

Link nodded, and she slipped back into his shadow while he moved the rock again and went back into the main room with the monkey.

She ran back to the platform, beckoning him to the left.

He went as far as he could without falling off the platform, and she jumped up onto a rope, holding on with her feet to hang upside down, and it was obvious what she wanted, so he jumped forward without hesitation to grab her hands with his and swing across the gap, landing on his feet on the other side.

She stayed on the rope, clapping her tiny hands and scratching herself, so he moved the stone in front of him, about to go in without her anyway, but she followed him into the darkness.

He could barely see, but he turned left from the door-way, killing a tiny, creepy, spider-like thing crouched there, shocked when it exploded and blew out a chunk of the wall.

He went through the newly-formed opening, destroying three pots and collecting two blue rupees and one green, turning to a forth pot, surprised to see that it moved.

He picked it up in his hands carefully, but it shattered, pottery flying everywhere as a small, yellow, duck-like thing popped out, staring up at him with a creepily, almost human-looking head settled on a neck that looked far to thin to support it.

"Phew!" the thing spoke up finally.

"Out at last! Gracious… Once I got in there, I couldn't squeeze back out! You were a big help… Thanks! I've been looking for something in here, you see. Gracious, yes! You must need something here, too. Shall we try working together for a while, fellow adventurer? You may not think I look like much, but I can be quite helpful! I can even warp you out of here if you want to leave! So don't think of me as a burden! Now let's get started! Oh, I'm called Ooccoo, by the way. And you are?"

"Link," he answered, gesturing to the monkey.

"This is Rosie."

Then he pointed to his shadow.

"And this is Midna."

"Your shadow has a name?" Ooccoo asked in confusion.

Link laughed at that, amusement filling his blue eyes.

"Yeah. Something like that."

Link scooped Ooccoo up, placing her on his shoulder carefully before heading back the way that he had come, turning right at the door this time.

He glared at the large spider-web that blocked his path, hoping that there weren't any of the terrifying-creatures in the next room as he burnt it quickly with a shudder.

Then he tucked his lantern away again, drawing his blade and killing a mutant-plant, following Rosie when she beckoned once more.

He went up three steps, jumped across two platforms to get over the large pool of smelly, dirty water that filled most of the room, puzzled as to why Rosie was suddenly cowering in fear until he saw the large spider on the ceiling above them and felt like cowering himself.

Instead, he pulled out his sling-shot, took aim and knocked it off its web, watching as it stupidly walked forward toward them, falling into the water and drowning.

Rosie hopped across the gap, still beckoning, but he turned toward another blocked entryway nearby instead, climbing up the three steps and pushing the rock out of the way, going through and finding himself outside again.

He watched as the strong wind rotated a bridge in front of him so that he could cross, killing two bats on the other side and collecting a pair of green rupees before moving a second rock and going through another opening ahead.

He broke the three pots on the right of the small platform, collecting another green rupee, then turning to the left, opened a dark-blue and silver chest to find a small key hidden within.

Then, seeing that he couldn't advance any farther in this direction at the moment, he back tracked to Rosie quickly, jumping across the gap and climbing more stairs, unlocking the spider-shaped lock with the key before tossing it into his endless-pouch and moving the rock to go through the opening.

There was a male monkey trapped in a cage in the middle of the brightly-lit room, and Rosie ran to him, climbing up the tall pillar that the cage rested on, yanking on the bars and shrieking in frustration when she couldn't free him.

Link went forward into the room, running across a pitiful-looking rope-bridge, not really surprised when it broke behind him.

He went down a naturally made wooden ramp, jumping into the clearing, crossing it to the monkeys, watching Rosie roll into a ball and slam herself into the pillar.

The force behind it wasn't enough to free the other monkey, so Link did it himself several times, knocking the cage down and freeing Stanley, his head jerking up at the sound of outraged-shrieking, gasping and drawing his blade quickly as two goblins descended on them from above.

He killed them both easily, smiling when Rosie and Stanley clapped, running together back to the ramp and beckoning him onward.

He spotted a chest under the platform that he had come in on, opening it and collecting a yellow rupee before he followed the two monkeys.

Rosie jumped to hang by her feet on the rope that spanned the gap where the bridge had been, and Stanley grabbed her hands to swing up and do the same after her since the gap was so large.

He jumped for Rosie's hands, then Stan's, smiling as they clapped again when he landed easily on the other side.

They followed him out and back to the main room again, and he hopped across to Rosie's hands to get back to the large platform, then Stanley's to get across the room, burning the spider-web there as they clapped quietly.

He went forward into the next room, going down a small-ramp, drawing his sword and killing an extra-creepy mutant-plant with a long, slimy, dark-blue tongue.

Then he went up a long flight of stairs, turned right and went up another, finding a spider-bomb and turning to the right, throwing it to yet another kind of mutant-plant, watching it blow up before jumping across the gap that it had been trying to hide in.

He went back for another bomb when he saw that the way was blocked, blowing up the huge rock that was in the way before going through by moving another red-runed rock.

The room was dim, but he could see well enough to go down the long ramp to the left of him, rolling into the two tall pillars at the bottom, collecting a blue rupee and a small key from a dark-blue and silver chest, tossing them both into his bag.

Then he tried to go across the path ahead, but he was knocked off into the water to his complete-bewilderment, so he swam to the second stone-square on the far right side of the path, climbing out there and avoiding the first square as he climbed up the two steps to the ground, climbing up them and killing a large spider before releasing a third monkey with the key.

It was another male, and, as he led it back to the exit through the safer, watery-route, he decided to call him Harry.

This time he took the right ramp up, exiting the room and turning right, climbing the vines with Harry following.

He entered the next room, gasping as he and the monkey watched a huge mutant plant swallow the key that they needed to free the next monkey.

He drew his blade, motioning for little Harry to stay back, doing his best to ignore his terrified shrieks while he slew the hideous creature.

Then he collected a spider-bomb, throwing it at what was left of the plant, watching it shrivel and die, grabbing the key as Harry clapped happily.

He went up yet another flight of stairs, unlocking the lock and releasing a fourth monkey.

Harry and Billy clapped; shrieking with glee, then followed him back to the exit.

They went back to the main room, all four of them, Rosie, Stanley, Harry and Billy beckoning him to the left and back to the outdoor-room where the bad-baboon, Tom, had broken the bridge that they needed to cross for some reason.

The four of them all hung by their feet on the rope evenly, and he jumped across by grabbing their hands and forcing himself not to look down, relieved when he landed safely on the other side of the huge gap, rolling back to his feet with the momentum.

He went into the room ahead, drawing his sword instinctively when he saw Tom.

The baboon shrieked loudly, throwing his boomarang and knocking two mutant-plants from the ceiling, to cowardly to face Link himself.

The baboon did it again after he killed them, so he killed another one, waiting until Tom threw his boomarang again, rolling into the pillar that he stood on so that when it came back it knocked him onto his stomach on the ground, running up to him quickly and smacking him on his big, red ass four times with the flat of his blade like the disobedient baboon-child that he was.

Tom screamed with displeasure, clapping his hands to him bottom when he picked himself up from the ground, jumping back up onto the pillars, but Link merely repeated his previous actions, then repeated them twice more.

Tom had a sort of fit, and a large, creepy-looking bug crawled out of his ass and died.

Then Tom came back to himself, running away so quickly that he left his boomarang behind.

So Link went over to it, surprised when it lifted up off the ground by itself and started to speak.

"I am the Fairy of Winds who resides in this boomarang. You have freed me from evil, and I now have my true power back. Please… Take it with you, use it to aid your quest, and may both my power and my blessing go with you. If you focus power in your boomarang before releasing it, it will unleash the power of wind, aiding you in unforeseen ways."

The boomarang whipped around the room, stirring the dead leaves on the ground in a show-offey manner before coming to rest in his hands.

Then Midna popped up with a wide grin on her face.

"I bet even the monkeys should be satisfied now. Ok, let's continue combing this place. We already found something good, so let's keep searching places we haven't looked yet."

Link nodded and headed for the door as she slid back into his shadow, pulling out the boomarang and targeting the fan-like contraption above the barred-door.

The wooden-bars were stiff and probably rotted through, so he had to use it three times before it would go back up so that he could get out.

He turned to the right, using the boomarang to cross the bridge, killing a goblin and using it again to rescue yet another monkey from a cage up high.

Bobby hopped away quickly, and Midna spoke up again.

"Well, I guess there are still some monkeys that you haven't freed yet! At this point, you should just save them all and see what you can get for it!"

Link nodded in agreement, and she hid herself away again.

He went left from the tree that the cage had been hanging in, climbing up a slightly-steep hill, killing a pair of bats and using the boomarang to cross back over to the other side.

He traveled back through that room to rejoin the monkeys in the main one, using his new boomarang to target all the pots and the chest that that hung above the central-platform, collecting two blue rupees and a compass, tossing them into his endless-pouch.

Midna popped up again with a giggle, and he smiled at her briefly.

"Well, if it isn't something useful. As long as you have that, you should be able to find where the captured monkeys are, right?"

She disappeared again at his nod, and he jumped across a gap to grab Rosie's tiny hands, going back into the dark-corridor that led to the room full of stinky-water.

He killed a mutant-plant, jumping across two platforms, then another, gasping as another large spider knocked him off into the dirty-water, swimming into a nearby alcove and finding a small cave containing a blue and silver chest, within it a yellow rupee.

Then he got back in the water reluctantly, swimming back to the beginning of the room, which was the only place he could find to get out, cursing audibly about his now sopping-wet clothes as he climbed the steps out of the water, jumping across again, this time killing the spider and landing on the other side.

Then he turned right, going across a short rope-bridge, pulling out his boomarang and locking it to the fans by following the obvious-pattern on the floor.

He let go, watching the gate open before moving forward to open the black and red-jeweled chest, finding a matching key inside.

The key that would get him into the heart of the temple so that he could cure it of it's evil.

He went back across the bridge, then back one gap, going into the nearby doorway for a second time.

He crossed the rotating-bridge once it was safe, killing two bats and meeting up with little Bobby on the other side, following him through the next opening.

He used the boomarang to rotate the platform, following Bobby across and through another opening.

Rosie, Stanley, Harry and Billy were waiting for them, and Bobby hopped over to join them quickly as Midna popped up again.

"I guess in order for us to check the temple out completely, we need the help of the monkeys. Ah well… Let's help the rest of them!"

Link nodded, going left as she vanished again, using the boomarang to get to the next platform.

He killed the goblin that was there waiting for him, as well as two small, purple spiders, climbing up and over on the vines before killing another purple spider and climbing up more vines.

He killed the goblin at the top before going into another room, killing a blue-tongued mutant plant, followed by two more.

He used his boomarang to grab the nearest spider-bomb, killing the only remaining mutant plant that he could see, jumping over to the blue and silver chest and retrieving the key within it's depths.

Then he jumped back across, using another spider-bomb to destroy the rock that was in his way before climbing up the vines and killing the goblin and two mutant plants at the top, grabbing another spider-bomb with the boomarang to free the monkey trapped behind the large boulder.

Jamie hopped away back to the room with the other monkeys, and he followed him, using his boomarang to get back to the door and going through it.

He got back onto the platform, spinning it to face the two doors, killing both goblins and going through the one with no lock first.

He killed the two large spiders that were in the room quickly, going to the second hole that was covered with webbing and burning it with his lantern, hopping down through and freeing another monkey, watching Alexander hop off to join the others as he followed behind him, jumping up to climb some nearby vines.

He left the room and went back across the platform to the door with the lock on it, unlocking it and going inside.

He used the boomarang to kill all the bugs hiding under the floor, slipping into the tunnel in the back-left corner of the room, jumping down into a small dirt-clearing and killing the large spider there, followed by the two small, purple spiders on the nearby vines, climbing up them quickly.

He used his boomarang again to free another monkey, watching Vincent hop away, following after him, feeling a little faint, so he retrieved his healing-potion out of his endless-pouch and drank it slowly, smiling as his energy was restored instantly.

He turned the platform again, going back into the room where the monkeys were, watching all of them climb up onto the branch of a large nearby tree, forming a chain in the order that he had freed them for him.

He shivered at the thought of the consequences should he fall, but he jumped for Vincent's small hands at the right moment, landing safely on the other side of the large gap.

He looked at the monkeys, waving to them in grateful-thanks and heading forward, breaking the pots with his sword and catching a fairy in his empty-bottle before opening the huge-lock on the door that led to the heart of the temple and going inside.

The room was large, with the sound of running-water in the background from four purple-watered falls that ran into a large; purple-pool that covered most of the room.

Then he gasped, drawing his sword instantly when two absolutely huge mutant-plants sprang up from the colored-water at his entrance.

He used his boomarang to collect spider-bombs; basically using the whirlwind of the Fairy residing therein to force them down the creature's throat-like stems so that they slid beneath the water with pained-shrieks.

Then he froze for a moment in horror as they returned, bringing with them another, larger plant.

The creature swung its head around in fury, bending toward him and giving an unholy-shriek directly into his face in what was an obvious intimidation-tactic.

Link shuddered at the strength of it, but he glared right back, blue eyes burning with swirling, emotional-fire, deciding when it pulled back abruptly to just repeat his earlier idea and see where it got him.

He looked around, his eyes widening in concern when he was unable to find any spider-bombs.

Then he heard Tom shrieking loudly, relieved when the baboon swung in on a rope, revealing a spider-bomb with another shriek.

He swung across the rope again, carrying the bomb with his feet so that it would be easier for him to get it with his new boomarang.

He did so twice, taking out the first two plant heads again before going after the larger one in the same manner.

He finally struck it's head with one of the many spider-bombs that his boomarang had collected, smiling as it screamed in agony when it's head flopped to the ground in front of him, revealing the venerable, creepily eye-looking type thing inside it's mouth of petals.

He managed to strike it several times with his blade before it recovered itself and got upright again.

He gasped in dismay when the other two heads returned, so he was caught off his guard and unprepared when the larger one opened it's petal-mouth and spat at him, covering him with a sticky, purple-acid.

He screamed as he felt it burning him in several places through his clothing, but he felt something deep down inside him rear its head in defiance of the searing-pain, helping him transfer the hurt to pure, dangerous-rage.

He took out the two smaller heads again quickly, going after the big one again.

He just kept tossing spider-bombs at it with the boomarang until one of them exploded on impact and triggered the others, going after it's eye when it fell quickly.

He smiled grimly when it died and dried up, putting his sword away, it's dead-husk breaking apart and it's eyeball falling out of it's mouth-socket, the acid leaving his body with it, though to late to prevent some scarring, puzzled when the shadows took physical-form and floated down into his hands.

Midna came up out of his shadow with a big smile on her small face as she giggled gleefully.

"Eee hee hee! Well done! That's… What I was looking for. That's a Fused Shadow. It's what the light spirit called dark power…" she said, grabbing it from his hands with her hair.

"Do you remember what that spirit said? About how you have to match the power of the King of Shadows? Could it really be so easy? Is this all there is to it? Eee hee hee! There's a total of three Fused Shadows. I think the other light spirits have the rest… If you want to know exactly what Fused Shadows are… Well, maybe I'll tell you if you find the other two. I guess you'd better do your best to find them, huh? Eee hee hee! So let's not waste any more time here when we could be looking for the other two…"

Midna opened a portal of twilight quickly, turning back to face him.

"I'll get you out of here… You pick up the Heart Container that fell out of that thing."

She floated over to hover in the middle of the portal, and he nodded, stumbling with exhaustion as he moved to retrieve it.

His body was flooded with energy, making it stronger then it had been before, but he still felt dead on his feet as he went back to Midna.

"Want to go outside? Are you all done here?"

"Yes," he agreed, relieved to get out of that stinking-cesspool, smiling when he arrived back at the spirit's spring.

"Heroic Link…" the spirit spoke to him softly.

"Do not think that Hyrule is now saved from the spread of twilight… Leave these woods and go to the east, where you will find the land protected by the spirit Eldon. There you will find those you seek… But know that these lands lie in twilight… They are now a dark realm covered by the clouds of dusk. If you set foot beyond the curtain of twilight, you will revert to your beast form, so be prepared. Hero chosen by the gods… leave these woods and go to the east, to the land of Eldin."

Once the spirit was finished speaking, Midna popped up out of his shadow again.

"That's better. Searching should be much easier now. Eee hee! But… of course you feel the need to go help the other light spirits, don't you? Well, don't worry. When you turn into a beast again, I'll take good care of you. The first thing you need to do is find the land covered in twilight. Once you do, I'll help you out. Eee hee hee! See you later!"

She vanished back into his shadow again, and Link sank to his knees, folding his hands in front of him and placing them on his lap, closing his blue eyes and lowering his golden haired head reverently in silent thanks to his three deities.

"Din, Nayru, Farore…" he prayed quietly.

"Thank you for giving me the strength that I needed to fight in your loving names. Thank you for sparing my life, allowing me to go on and to keep fighting. I promise, I Vow to you, that I will keep fighting for this world, your world, our world, until my mission is completed and the people, your beloved creations, be saved or my soul leaves my body to join you…"

As these words left his lips, he slumped over sideways in exhaustion, unable to force himself to stay awake any longer as he lost consciousness, swaying backwards to land on his injured-back on the soft-grass.

Midna came back out of his shadow, her small face concerned as she placed one of her tiny hands on his left cheek gently.

"Link? Are you alright? Oh no. Please… Speak to me, Link!"

"The Hero will live," the spirit addressed her.

"He merely needs rest, and his burns should be washed and cleansed of infections. He may sleep here safely and without fear of the dark forces rapidly amassing outside of my sanctuary. At least for a little while."

"His burns?" Midna asked, looking up at the light spirit in surprise. "What burns?"

"From the acid of the forest-creature. He will live, but I fear that his days of being unscathed are over. Scarring is almost a certainty, even with the cleansing. Care for him, young one, then let him sleep. He'll recover faster if he rests before moving on to Eldin."

Midna blinked, but she moved to remove Link's belt and set it aside, followed by his clothes.

The man whimpered softly in his sleep, pain clear on his face, his forehead furrowing above his closed eyes as she washed his naked-body with the clean, clear water from the nearby pool that he had bathed in before.

She winced as she saw the red, raw burns that dotted his upper-torso and legs, cleaning them out thoroughly, using her power to lift him up into the air and roll him over, gasping loudly when she saw how badly his back had been burned by the acid.

She decided just to lower him into the pool, careful to keep his head steady and above the water as she lowered herself in as well, gathering some soap-grass in her tiny hands and rubbing it into his burns, doing her best to ignore his moans of pain as she then rinsed him off and floated him out of the water to lay him down on the soft-grass on his stomach carefully.

Midna sat on her tiny knees, hovering in the air beside Link, closing her one visible eye as she placed her hands on his shoulders gently, wincing as she drew his pain into her own small body slowly, relieved when he relaxed with a soft-sigh and his breathing deepened as he drifted into a more natural-sleep.

She only wished that she could do more, feeling pained at the thought of his reaction when he would wake and see the scarring on his once-flawless body.

She settled down beside him as he rolled over onto his side and curled up in a ball with his burned-back facing her.

She smiled briefly before lowering her chin onto her tiny chest, moving to curl up within his shadow to rest as well, knowing that the spirit would keep an eye on them both as they restored their strength before moving on to Eldin.


	9. Chapter 9 More Stories Told

**Thank You for your review! :  
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**Writer-Girl-19 (Thank You! I feel the same. :) In this case, I love Link, and when you play the games, you feel like you are him. At least, I do, so, he'll be afraid of the things that scare me. :))**

**P.S. Check out my poll if you have time! :)**

**~Sweet-Hearted SilverEars~  
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**Chapter 9 More Stories Told**

Link stirred, waking up slowly and rolling over, crying out in unexpected pain, his eyes flying open as he rolled over onto his back, switching back to his stomach quickly.

"Midna?" he called, his voice trembling as he sat up carefully, looking at himself as he continued to speak.

"What happened? Why am I naked and in pain?"

She looked up at him from where she was still curled up in a ball in his shadow, her one visible eye holding sincerity as she answered him.

"You… You were burned rather badly by the plant monster in the forest temple… I did what I could, but, even I couldn't prevent scarring. I'm… I'm so sorry, Link. I was able to make them less noticeable, and take away some of the pain, but that's all. I… I tried."

Link was surprised when her eye filled with moisture, a single tear escaping and trailing down her tiny face, her chin quivering as she looked up at him.

"Hey now," he said, reaching out to touch her small shoulders gently, wiping the tear away and drawing her close into his arms.

"Don't cry, Dina, don't cry. I'm alright. I'm alive. So, thank you. Without you, I might not be here right now."

"I think you're stronger then you give yourself credit for, Fairy," she joked weakly.

Link blinked, surprised at the word, but somehow, he wasn't offended as he scoffed softly, rolling his eyes at her in exasperated affection, releasing her as he continued to speak, making a request of her.

"Shhhh, it's okay. How about you tell me more stories about the other Link while I get ready to leave?"

"If you really want me to."

"I do."

"Alright."

Link reached out to grab his endless-pouch, putting his whole arm inside to rummage around it's depths.

Midna lowered herself down to sit on the grass, watching as he pulled white gauze and a small container of scar-minimizing and healing cream that also numbed pain out of the leather bag, starting to speak as he began to spread the cream over his burns carefully, wrapping them with the gauze every time he finished a specific section or patch.

"I'll start where I left off and then skip ahead a ways," she began, wincing as Link jerked in silent-pain as he wrapped more gauze tightly around his burnt upper-arm after he had spread the cream sparingly over the sun-hot skin, continuing at the male's attentive nod.

"The baby boy grew up safely within the forest of the great Deku tree among the changeless-children, the Kokiri, who never grew any bigger, their appearance never changing from their child-like looks and bodies, their minds never losing their child-like innocence no matter how many years went by. His best friend was a young Kokiri girl with bright-green hair named Saira. That's how it was for ten years, but the influence of the shadow-man began to grow and spread, tainting the land. Even the great Deku tree fell ill, a fell curse cast upon him by Ganondorf. Link came when he called for him, and managed to break the cruse, but to late to save the Guardian of the Forest. The Deku tree gave him a bright, shining green stone, the Kokiri's Emerald, the thing that the evil man had wanted badly enough to curse him, and, with the fairy, Navi, he left the forest that was all he had ever known and set out on his journey."

Link blinked, looking at Midna with a shocked expression.

"Just like that? That fast? He was only ten years old."

"Yes, just like that."

"Wow. That's harsh."

Midna nodded in reply, looking serious.

"But at least he was alive."

"True, I guess."

"Mmm, so, anyway, he left the forest to search for the other two stones, helping first the Gorons then the Zoras, obtaining the Goron's Ruby and the Zora's Sapphire in addition to the Kokiri's Emerald. Then, he returned to see the princess, only to see her fleeing the castle with Impa on a large white horse, closely followed by Ganondorf on his black-skinned stallion. It was the first time that he had ever seen the man outside of his nightmares, and he was nearly paralyzed with fear, but he managed to remain silent about which direction the princess had gone when asked, despite the painful jolt of dark-magic that the desert-man sent his way to knock him onto his backside as a parting shot before riding away recklessly fast in the direction of his home. Unknown to Ganondorf, or so he thought, Zelda had thrown the last key that Link needed to open the Temple of Time's door into the moat, so he retrieved it and headed to the Temple despite his dripping-wet state."

"Oh no.." Link said as he drew his tunic back on with a hiss of pain, smoothing it down over his chest and flat belly proudly as he though of the boy's brave deeds.

"Why don't I think this is going to end well?.."

"Because it's not. Now be quiet or I won't say another word."

"Okay. I'm sorry."

"Shush. Link opened the door by placing the three stones in their places, and playing a special song on Zelda's Ocarina. But before he could get inside to retrieve the Triforce as planned, Ganondorf appeared out of nowhere, taunting him cruelly as he took it and vanished just as quickly. The Goddesses knew that their child was not yet ready to be the Hero of Time, so they closed the door to their Temple, sorrow on the four women's faces as they sent the boy into a deep sleep and sealing him within the chamber for seven years."

"_Seven years_?" Link gasped, unable to stop himself.

"Yes, seven years," she confirmed, not commenting on his slip-up.

"He had just turned seventeen when they woke him so that he could go forth and cure Hyrule of it's sickness. Much had changed in the years that he had been away. The land was dying slowly. He could feel it. So, along with Navi the fairy, who had been sleeping as well, he started out to travel the vast lands of Hyrule to help people, purging the Temples of the Goddesses, beginning with the Forest Temple and rescuing his best friend, Saira, who was the Sage of the Forest, chasing the evil from the land at each place of worship that he and Navi stopped at together. When they reached the third temple, the Temple of Water that was cared for by the Water-People, the Zora's, he found something that he had not expected to find for many years yet."

"What? What did he find?" Link asked excitedly, his blue eyes wide as he looked at her.

"His True-Love. His Soul-Mate. Ganondorf had created the boy in Link's Image, Infused his pale body with darkness, intended for him to kill the Hero and end the threat to his domination, but he failed somehow. For within the shadow-man was a hole, a great emptiness that the King of Evil overlooked in his blindness to emotions of the heart, a longing for Companionship, for a love that only his Intended Victim could fulfill, could make whole. So, there, in the room where the death of the Goddesses son had been intended, Dark, as Link would affectionately call him, stripped them both and made love to him there on the wet, misty stone floor of the large chamber, filling him with his body and taking his soft cries, moans and pants of pleasure to fill his empty, fast-beating heart, clinging to him after, curling their naked bodies close together as they wept with joy and peace that they were no longer alone in the world. The Goddesses frowned upon same-sex relationships at the time, but were unable to see their son through the evil within the temple, and so could not stop them. When the Darkness was lifted, and the two men emerged hand in hand from the temple's depths, it was too late to separate them, for during their love-making, and the time after as they worked together to find the monster in the temple's center and destroy it, they had given parts of themselves to each other that they could not get back, and so could not be parted or the death of both would be the result. And so Dark, became the Hero's lover and shadow, traveling with him, fighting back to back together in every temple, waiting for him anxiously every time that he traveled back and forth through Time's River when necessary by using the Master Sword. Eventually, seeing how devoted and loving Dark was to their Beloved Child, the four women began to soften toward him, forgiving him his unfortunate origins, which, they admitted to each other, was no fault of his, even beginning to see him as a second son."

"Really? That's so.. beautiful.."

"Yes. When finally they came to confront Ganondorf, Dark accompanied him despite Link's protests and fears for his Mate's safety. And so, they braved the dark-coldness of the once-beautiful Hyrule Castle together, as they had done nearly everything else on their journey. The three of them fought for hours, Link and Dark struggling to end the man's evil threat to their world. Then, finally, when they though they had subdued him, Ganondorf rose up again in the form of a large beast, charging Link with deadly intent. Dark reacted instinctively, pushing the fair-haired Hero aside, taking the blow himself, his crimson blood staining the stone, filling the cracks like water in a river. Link ran the monster through with the Master Sword, Ganondorf's enraged bellows filling the air before he fell, hopefully never to rise again. Then the blade slipped through numb fingers as he fell to the ground on his knees, clattering against the stone as he drew the convulsing man into his arms, sobbing raggedly as he clung to him and begged him not to leave him. Dark hushed him, his crimson eyes burning as _he_ comforted Link, coughing into his pale-skinned palm to conceal the blood before kissing him roughly, clutching at the hair at the nap of his neck as he told him that he loved him, and always would. Then his eyes fluttered closed as he breathed one last time and was still within his Hero's embrace. Link's scream of agony echoed over all of Hyrule, and the sky went dark quickly with his emotions as he wept with pain and anger. Then, a golden beam shone down from the grey clouds, enveloping them both within it's soft, soothing light. A voice spoke to him softly, yet it sounded like the voices of four women speaking together. "Brave Link, cry not, our son," the three goddesses and his mortal mother spoke. "We have seen you. How you love him, how he loves you. We have decided to give our blessing to unions of this kind in honor of that love. And so we give him back to you, and you back to him. Cherish each other always.-"

Tears of happiness were falling down Link's cheeks as he listened to her finish the story in silence.

"-Link gasped when Dark jerked, surging to life again in his arms. The light ascended back into the heavens, and they clung to each other there, only getting to their feet when the castle started to shake and collapse, running together quickly back through the castle to escape, holding hands tightly as they watched it fall from a safe distance in relief and joy. The Princess Zelda offered to return Link back through time so that he could live his childhood in peace, but he refused, as he would have had to leave his lover behind in the future. "I had my chance to be free," he said firmly, taking the other male's hand in his despite Zelda's disgusted and obviously jealous look at their linked fingers. "And it was taken from me. That part of my life is over. Dark is my future, my life. I will never leave him. I love him." There was nothing the Princess could do. Even she was not strong enough to fight the Goddesses decision on the matter of Their son and his man. And so, they lived, always as one together in love."


	10. Chapter 10 Back To Beast

**Thank You for your reviews! :**

**darkyami1214 (Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! :) There will probably be more such references, but most likely not more full-length stories like that. For one, it's exhausting trying to come up with a way to make the story new, fresh and exciting. Two, it just makes this epically-long story even longer..O'o Anyway, hope you enjoy this SUPER long chapter. It was exhausting as well, but, the way I see it, every chapter finished is one more closer to where Link first sees Ralis! :),  
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**The Great Imaginer Zuzume (Sorry about the boo-boos, and I'll look for them now. But, I hope you enjoy this chapter. No "Deku" trees or** **"Ocarinas" mentioned. :), **

**~Sweet-Hearted SilverEars~**

**Chapter 10 Back To Beast **or** Finding The Children **or** Within Kakariko Village **

Link and Midna set out for Eldin as soon as he was finished tending to his wounds, heading east as the spirit of Faron Woods had instructed them.

He exited the wooden gate-posts to the far left of Coro's clearing, after purchasing a bottle of oil, killing two goblins before they reached the open field.

He took the obvious path, coming to a three-way splitting of ways and taking out two more goblins, choosing the path to the right, ignoring the wooden bridge in front of him.

He jumped when a yell sounded, smoothing his countenance quickly as a strange-looking man approached him, not wanting to look unnerved by the sudden storm, the loud thunder in the immediate vicinity making him uneasy as he stood there in the pouring rain getting soaked through to his skin.

"HEEEEEEY! Go no further! There is a black wall ahead that blocks the way! I thought I would deliver a few letters, but it seems impossible… I am the honorable and dependable letter carrier, known to some as… the postman. Now that I have introduced myself, please! Take this letter and read it at your leisure! Well, my business is concluded! Onward to mail!"

The strange mail carrier ran off back in the direction of the black wall, and Link just shook his head, opening the letter to read it's contents, which basically said that anyone who wanted to send him a letter, the mailman would deliver it, scoffing softly as he wondered who would ever bother to take the time to write to him.

He put the letter away in his endless pouch, and then kept going forward, dispatching another goblin quickly.

He entered between two medium height rocky-walls, approaching the black wall ahead reluctantly.

Midna popped up when he got closer, hovering in her shadow-form in front of him to look into his face as she spoke.

"Hey, it was much closer then I thought… You remember, right? You know what this is? If you set foot in there, you might be a wolf again for quite some time… For at least as long as it takes for you to save the light of Eldin from the twilight, anyway… So, shall we try to go see the light spirit of Eldin? Eee hee!"

Midna laughed playfully before disappearing, and he walked the rest of the way to the black curtain of twilight before she appeared again.

"Want me to let you into the twilight?"

He nodded in reply, a determined glint shining in his blue eyes.

"Yes."

She floated through the wall, pulling him through after her, barely pushing himself up from where he lay on the twilight-cold ground on his belly before gasping in pain as his body became that of the blue-eyed wolf again.

The transformation was a little easier this time, not as painful, but it still hurt like cold-fire as the change traveled up his spinal column piercingly, and he let out a small whimper, panting heavily as he slowly recovered.

"That's a good boy!" Midna teased him to take his mind off the pain where she now sat astride him.

"Now, you need to listen to what I say form now on! Ahh, look! How lovely! The black clouds of twilight are so fetching today… I feel so much more at ease here…-" She yawned and stretched, and Link thought that she _might_ be being sarcastic. "-And you look so much better like this than in those dusty old clothes, anyway. Eee hee! So, let's get going!"

He sighed, but ran forward along the path, stopping when he came to the wooden sword that he had given Talo, sniffing at it curiously as the scent was still fresh and true.

"See, isn't being a wolf more convenient?" Midna said when he had finished committing the scent of the children to his memory.

"Use your senses! You've begun to reawaken as a wolf, I think. Eee hee!"

He strained his senses, alert for danger as he began to follow the trail, soon coming across a group of three shadow beings, dispatching one, then the last two together, with Midna's help, before approaching a wide, deep chasm.

"What's this?" Midna gasped in dismay. "That's strange… The bridge is gone… I wonder if this is the work of those shadow creatures… Ugh… What a pain! Ah well, let's look for it… You! Get your map out!"

Link called his map from his endless pouch with his mind, laying it out over the ground with some difficulty because of his paws, trying to decipher it, recalling that the yellow arrow marked magically where he was.

"Whenever you destroy those creatures from the darkness, a portal opens that looks like this on a map," Midna continued, showing him a mental-picture of the swirly blue symbol.

"You hear me? It's called a _portal_. You'd better remember that! And…in those woods we came through… Yes! It's got to be around there… I'll use my power to take you to the location of the open portal… Pick where you want to go."

He selected North Faron Woods on the map, pointing to it with his snout, and they both vanished, his map being sucked back into his pouch before they vanished, reappearing in the clearing before the clearing that led to the Forest Temple.

"See! I told you. We're here! You know, most people can't leave the twilight that easily. You'd better be grateful! It's your job to look for the bridge! Look hard!"

Link turned to the left, walking straight up to the bridge, which was exactly where he remembered it being.

Midna floated up next to it, giggling as she did so.

"Wow! It's perfect, don't you think? What do you think? Should we take it?"

He nodded.

"Good little obedient wolf!" she teased him, pulling up the map to let him select where to go. "Want to travel to Kakariko Gorge?"

He nodded, and she used her power, obviously straining to lift the heavy wooden bridge, vanishing it and them, placing the bridge back where it belonged, and them on top of it in the exact middle of the structure with astonishing precision.

"See! Just as I thought… Eee hee! So, isn't the power of twilight amazing? Call me if you need the power again. It should help you find what we're looking for, don't you think? All right! Let's keep going!"

He set off over the bridge, encountering two twilight monsters, dispatching them before moving on quickly.

Soon, they came to a strong, iron bridge blocking the path, and they could see two twilight monster guards on the other side, the noises that they made both disturbing and gruesome.

"Huh…" Midna said quietly, watching them. "What are they doing there? This is a pretty elaborate gate… What are they trying to keep in? …Or out? I bet it'll be worth our while to dig in…"

Link nodded his furry head, doing as she said with ease, shaking the dirt from his body before dealing with the guards presence efficiently.

Then he ran down the path ahead, feeling strangely wary of what they would find there.

But, he always trusted his instincts, his feelings, and they had never led him wrong before, so he proceeded cautiously.

He blinked, surprised when he realized this was Kakariko Village. He had heard about it in stories and legends of old.

It appeared to be deserted, except for the presence of various types of shadow creatures.

A barrier came up as he kept going, and he killed all three monsters within quickly, forming another twilight portal in the sky.

Then, the spirit spoke to him, calling him to the spring.

"To the hero…who was transformed into a blue-eyed beast…in the realm of shadows… In twilight… …This way…"

Link carefully waded into the pool with Midna still on his back, nodding his head respectfully to the spirit for it to continue.

"…I am…a spirit…of light… Hero… Chosen by the gods… Look for…my light… Gather the light stolen by the shadows…into this…"

The spirit gave him another vessel of light to collect the tears within.

"…The insects of darkness… They are the form taken…by the evil that attached itself…to my scattered light… In this shadowy twilight…the shadow insects are invisible, much as the people from your light world are… With the last of my power…let me mark your map…with the locations…of the tears that have turned into…shadow insects… But…be careful… The darkness…now hunts you…"

Link smiled at the warning, revealing white, razor sharp teeth as he growled contentedly.

'Good,' he thought to himself. 'Surely he was getting somewhere, doing some good for the world, if he had hit a nerve already.'

He nodded again to the spirit, turning away and heading back to where he had entered the village.

He then headed toward where the first dots on the map were, marking the locations of the insects, circling around behind the building he assumed they were within, the Sanctuary, according to the sign that he had read at the beginning of the valley.

He climbed up onto what was apparently a broken wagon, asking Midna for her help with a quick bark.

"Hey, you can climb up here!" she said brightly, giggling and laughing as she helped him to the top easily.

He ran around the outer-edge of the roof in a circle, sensing for the insects, but there was nothing, so he walked to the middle, gasping in shock when the roof gave out beneath his paws and he fell through into the building's center.

Once he had regained his balance, mental and physical, he looked around, puzzled by all the floating blue lights.

Then he remembered. The soldiers in Hyrule Castle! These were people here!

He used his senses quickly, almost wishing that he had not, horrified by what he saw happening before his wide blue eyes.

"Cripes! I don't see those black brutes anywhere…" a man that he didn't know spoke nervously over by the window as he peered out cautiously.

"They've gotta be hidin' somewhere, waitin' for their helpless little prey to come out! Then they'll FEAST!"

Another man that he didn't know talked to Talo then, his soft voice gentle and soothing as he spoke.

"We are safe as long as we remain in here, child. Be at ease."

"Oh yeah?" the other man spoke up again loudly.

"I wonder if the monsters out there agree with you… They sure didn't seem impressed by my bombs! How long do you think we can hold this sanctuary against beasts that strong, huh? Once they attack, it's OVER!"

Talo cringed into the other man's side with a soft whimper of fear.

"Remember the lady from the General Store?" the dense man by the window continued speaking darkly, not seeming to see the children's frightened faces.

Beth, Colin, Talo, Malo.. And the other. One that Link didn't know.

"Just one of those things attacked her, and a whole gang from town went to save her! And what happened? She was already gone, and there were TWO monsters waitin'! … You connectin' the dots? That means that if we get attacked by them, then we'll be…"

"BARNES!" the other man, the normally soft-spoken one, chastised him harshly.

But it was too late, as Beth started sobbing into her hands.

Barnes looked properly shamed as he was glared at coldly, covering his face with the welding mask that he wore, going down onto his hands and knees to crawl closer to the others so that he wouldn't be seen through the window.

"Look, Renado… All I mean to say is that it's risky here, too! Ain't you got someplace we can hide?"

"There is…a cellar," he said hesitantly in answer.

Barnes ran over closer quickly, flipping his mask up again so that he could see better.

"WHAAT? You've got a CELLAR? Where's the entrance, man?"

"The entrance to the cellar is designed to open when all the candles have been lit…"

Barnes scrambled over to one of the oil lamps in the room and lit it with a burning stick before falling flat on his face clumsily.

"…I… Would not do that," the only child that Link did not know speaking up patiently.

"When father instructed me to secure the cellar, I saw insects like the beasts outside…"

Barnes squealed like a stuck pig, his arms windmilling crazily as he scuttled back over to the window like a crab running from the nearing surf.

Beth was still sobbing loudly.

"Don't cry, Beth! It'll be okay!" Colin tried to comfort her where he now sat by her feet, but she pulled away from his touch and kept sobbing raggedly.

"Link is coming to save us all!"

That got her to look at him, and the three who did not know him looked puzzled, Barnes, Renado, and the unknown child.

"I can feel it!" Colin said firmly, his blue eyes burning with his belief, warming Link's heart with his faith in him.

Talo grunted in disbelief, as though he doubted it, making Link growl softly in displeasure and hurt at his reaction.

After that no one spoke. Except Midna.

"These kids knew you'd come save them!" she teased, but Link just thought she was being unknowingly cruel with her words.

"What a hero! How sad, to be right in front of someone and not be noticed at all… Eee hee hee! You are chosen by the gods, and only that keeps you from turning into a spirit, or worse, into a dark monster, when you enter twilight. And no one knows what you have done… You may be doomed to toil in obscurity forever… You're the type to worry about everything, I can tell…but don't fret over Princess Zelda! She chose this state of affairs, after all… Anyway, what's with having to light candles to get to the basement? Not very subtle, is it… So, what are you going to do now? My lonely little hero… Eee hee!"

Link shifted his body forward onto his front paws, catching her by surprise so that she fell onto her back beneath his head, lowering his face down close to hers, his muzzle almost touching her nose, revealing his fangs as he growled low from deep in his chest, letting her know that she had crossed a line that he wasn't willing to allow be crossed, his piercing blue eyes clearly stating that she mocked his pain at her own risk, and that he would only put up with so much of it before he snapped. Literally.

Midna just stared in shock, wondering at how fast his easy-going nature had vanished.

Link turned away then, leaving her there on the carpet beside the oil-lamp while he grabbed a stick and lit it, using it to light the candles to open the cellar, only then letting her return to his back, jumping down what he guessed to be an old mine shaft without looking at her, not worried about injury since he could clearly see the bottom with his keen wolf eyes.

He walked forward into a small underground chamber, seeing several balls of buzzing, pinkish electricity.

He used his senses, killing the insects and collecting the three tears quickly, digging up two green rupees as well.

"If you don't help the spirit," Midna spoke up softly from where she sat on his back.

"We won't have a chance of finding that fused shadow. Hey, don't think for a second that I care about your world of light… I don't! I'm helping you because I have to! You remember that! But… I am sorry that what I said earlier hurt you.. I have a sharp tongue, and sometimes I don't think before I speak.. I'll try to do better from now on, okay? Forgive me?"

Link nodded in answer before he left the chamber through a passage to the left of a strangely-shaped statue that looked partially like a bird of some sort, possibly an owl.

The small, cramped chamber that it led to had high scaffolding on three sides, and a hole at the top.

"…How about that?" Midna said, tilting her small head as she looked up. "Looks like you can climb the scaffolding…"

He barked for her help, and she flew half-way up, assisting him to the top easily with her impressive magic.

He looked around them, realizing that they had exited a well and were now in a graveyard.

He was immediately attacked by a twilight-crow, which he killed swiftly before climbing up a small incline to stand amidst the gravestones.

He heard a scratching noise that sounded like it came from beneath the ground, noticing a small dust-cloud that moved.

He dug the insect up, chasing it around the graveyard for a few moments, essentially taunting it, almost letting it escape below the ground again before he killed it, smiling at Midna's quiet, tinkling laughter of amusement at his actions.

He found the exit, or entrance as it were, to the graveyard, coming out behind the Sanctuary.

He had Midna check the map for the location of the next insect, trotting across the road toward the building she pointed to, gasping as a positively huge twilight bird descended on them to attack viciously.

He pulled back before snapping at the creature with his powerful jaws, destroying it before walking beneath a small gateway near the building, entering a small tunnel to slip inside.

He climbed up out of the rectangular-shaped hole, looking around before climbing up onto a wooden ledge, breaking apart various pots and boxes to collect a blue rupee.

Then he used his senses to locate the insect, dispatching it and collecting the tear.

He went back out the same way that he had come in, heading back across the street to climb onto the roof of a building, jumping across a gap to the next building, then to the next where he killed two more twilight-crows before the roof fell out from under his paws as the Sanctuary's roof had, sending him falling into the building onto the broken ruins of what he assumed had once been a bed.

He broke open two crates and collected two green rupees, using his senses to locate the creature, pushing aside the crate it hid beneath before destroying it and collecting the tear, exiting the same way that he had entered by climbing up onto the dresser and then the wardrobe before barking for Midna.

He then jumped down from the roof, heading back to the tall dirt incline, climbing it before jumping across to the roof of the Inn and going inside the dark doorway in front of them, climbing down the wooden platforms and collecting a green rupee from a pot.

He searched around for the insect, finally determining that it was hiding from him in the chimney of the fireplace.

So he lit the fire with one of a nearby pair of sticks which he lit using a wall-candle, driving the creature out with the heat before killing it and collecting the tear.

He left that room through a doorway to the left of the wall-candle, seeing two of the monsters like the ones that had been guarding the gate to the village.

He clambered up over the rectangular counter that blocked his way, killing them before destroying all the small crates sitting around the room, collecting two green rupees and a blue one, opening a small gold chest in the corner and collecting a red rupee before going upstairs, finding a third monster and dispatching it quickly, knocking the two wardrobes to the left of the doorway down and finding a blue rupee, going into the next room, destroying the crates there and collecting a green rupee.

He then knocked over two more wardrobes, finding a yellow rupee behind one, an insect behind the other.

He killed it quickly and took the tear back, leaving the building the same way that he'd come into it.

He jumped down into the road, going to stand in front of a building with a bomb on the sign over the door, climbing up the garbage bins to the left of it and onto the roof of a little shed, jumping through the broken window on that side, shattering it completely to break into the larger building quickly.

He ran up the metal stairs that were just ahead, knocking down the wardrobe in that room to kill the insect and take it's stolen tear.

Then he climbed up onto it and two wooden platforms to exit the brightly-lit doorway there, emerging on top of the building's roof.

He went up a small incline, his paws slipping somewhat on the shiny blue roof tiles, killing the large twilight bird that descended to attack them before climbing up the steps there, seeing another staticky pink ball of electricity to the right, chasing after it and seeing it go into a pathetic-looking building to try to get away, crawling in behind it through a small tunnel quickly.

He destroyed two pots, collecting a green rupee before he found the insect hiding in the chimney, lighting it up with a stick and a small pot of fire in one corner.

At least two of the insects burst out of it, but the house also lit on fire.

"Huh?" Midna yelped out in shock from where she sat on his back.

"What did you do? Sorry, but as romantic as this is, I'm not going to stay here with you. I'm getting out!"

Midna flew out of the building, and Link raced over to the tunnel and escaped as well, the two of them watching the house become an inferno as she settled herself back onto his back, many small explosions occurring, followed by one massive one that completely obliterated the house.

"Hmm…" Midna commented to him.

"I don't suppose there's any nicer way to hunt these things, huh? Well, you had to sacrifice someone's house to find Tears of Light…but that's how the cookie crumbles, right?"

Link nodded in answer, though regretful about it, he entered the remains of the house carefully to collect three tears that hovered there as though waiting for him.

Then he climbed up a steep incline to the left of the house, killing two twilight-crows before crossing a bridge to go up to a small building, digging inside, destroying a cluster of pots in one corner to find two green rupees and an insect, killing it and collecting the tear quickly.

He left the same way that he had come in, going all the way back down to the road that cut through the village, taking a wide path on the same side of the canyon as the bomb shop, seeing a large, high wall covered in some kind of netting blocking the way.

"Looks like the path's impassible…" Midna stated. "But I can get you up it if you want to go."

He nodded, walking closer; climbing up onto a small dirt ledge and barking for her help, so she hovered up to another ledge and helped him get there before assisting him up to the highest one easily.

He continued up the path, stopping briefly to sense the spirit of a large, bulky rock-like creature that he assumed to be a Goron from the descriptions in the old tales and stories.

"Ugh…" the obviously male Goron groaned loudly.

"Why do I have to stand guard… The ladder is destroyed, so it is not like any humans will come up… And what is with the elders? If we have a problem the humans can help with, we should ask. It is better then suffering for the sake of pride."

Link blinked at his words, wondering what was wrong here as he rolled over a pile of rocks with his shoulder and collected a green rupee before continuing quickly up the path, not getting far before he was attacked by a swarm of twilight-creatures, killing them all without much fuss or problem.

After that he killed a pair of twilight-crows before climbing up two metal steps and collecting a green rupee from beneath some rocks, then a blue rupee a little further up the path, next encountering some dangerous, steamy geysers, which he avoided carefully in order to dig up another insect, kill it and collect the tear.

Then he stopped in front of a strange, singing stone, sitting back on his haunches as he howled to sing along with the haunting melody.

An image formed in his mind of the sunlight-wolf that he had encountered in front of the forest temple on a ledge across a great expanse from him, raising his head to howl the song again with him proudly.

"Let teachings of old pass to you…" the sunlight-wolf panted when they had finished the song, his blue eyes proud as he gazed back into Link's matching set.

"Take sword in hand and find me…"

Then the wolf leapt away, and Link awoke back in front of the now-silent stone, the mark of the sunlight-wolf on his map to tell him where to look for him.

He pondered the purpose of their meetings with part of his mind as he continued forward up the path, avoiding the hissing geysers cautiously.

Soon he came to a large clearing, seeing four twilight creatures below, leaping down the ledge to meet them fearlessly.

One of the four was separated from the others by a small barrier, obviously meant to make Link's job harder, but all he did was slip through the entrance and take him out before returning to the other three and ending them quickly, forming another portal in the sky above.

He found three rupees total hidden under various rocks in the clearing, then jumped up onto a metal ledge with Midna's help, after killing the insect that clung to it and collecting another tear, seeing another Goron spirit there.

"Why do I have to stand guard at a dead end at the bottom of a cliff like this…" he said, throwing up his large hands in frustration.

"…wait a second! Have they tucked me out of the way because they think I am useless?"

Link blinked at his words and kept going, killing another large twilight bird when it attacked them, climbing up another incline and barking for Midna to help him up to a high metal ledge, breaking two crates when he got to the top and collecting a green and blue rupee, continuing along a ledge and killing another large twilight bird before sensing yet another Goron spirit.

"Psssh! Hot! Another fumarole… And once again, it is in the worst possible place! I suppose this path is impassible now… If I were to go down that way… I would get knocked back in an instant. I am sure of it! If my legs were as strong as the elders' legs, I might be able to stomp my way down there…"

Link dug up a green rupee directly behind the Goron, then jumped down into the pit directly below, killing a small swarm of twilight creatures before finding the last insect and destroying it to collect the final tear.

The vessel of light flared bright-white when it was filled, and the two of them were magically transported back to the spirit's fountain.

"The Vessel of Light is full of tears, and light has returned to this area!" the spirit said, yet invisible.

"Aw, I was just starting to have fun!" Midna teased as she hovered in the air in a reclining position with her hands behind her head, smiling briefly at Link, who was human once more.

"Don't forget that Fused Shadow! Eee hee hee! See you later!"

She vanished in her usual way quickly, and the spirit appeared now in the form of a large bird, most likely an owl, speaking to Link softly.

"My name is Eldin. I am one of the light spirits of Hyrule. I am the spirit that guards these lands. O great hero chosen by the gods… The dark power you seek lies in the sacred grounds of the proud mountain dwellers. But already those grounds have been defiled, draped in shadow and seeded with evil. You must go to those sacred grounds and cleanse them."

The spirit vanished, and Link walked back toward the Sanctuary, smiling briefly as the door opened and the children emerged, laughing happily.

Colin tried to run to him, but the other children knocked him onto his face in the dirt roughly as they ran to Link excitedly.

"Ha ha ha!" Colin laughed, brushing their treatment off, ignoring Malo's cold glance back his way as he pushed himself to his feet easily and ran to stand with the others in front of Link.

"See, Beth? I TOLD you Link would save us!"

"…You are the one from Ordon whom these children spoke of?" Renado asked in his soothing voice as he approached the group slowly.

"We are well met. I am Renado, shaman of this town. And this… This is my daughter, Luda."

The little girl smiled at him, and Barnes huffed from where he stood behind them and stomped away, clearly offended at not being introduced to him, and Link sensed that there could be complications with that man that he did not want to have to deal with at all.

"The beasts took us and left us to die…-" Colin spoke again now, smiling up at the man gratefully. "-but Mr. Renado found us."

"At first, I couldn't believe they had come from so distant a place as the Ordona Province…" Renado spoke again as he looked down at Colin.

"Yeah, I…" the fair-haired boy continued slowly.

"We don't remember much. All of the sudden everyone was captured, and then…until now…it's been like…"

"…A nightmare," Malo finished when Colin trailed off without doing so.

"Yeah!" Colin continued, looking up at Link. "It was like a terrible dream and we couldn't wake up…"

"Mmm…" Renado said in response. "Nightmares are everywhere these days, it seems. This village has certainly seen its share of recent hardships...-" he looked toward the high mountains as he spoke. "-The dark beasts attacked, but even worse was the sudden and inexplicable change in the mountain-dwelling Goron tribe. They had long been our friends, but suddenly treated us as foes. Even now they refuse to permit us entry into their mines. It strains the limit of belief…to think that such a gentle and proud tribe could change so suddenly… It makes me wonder if something in those mines is the cause of this change… In any case, you must take these children and flee this village before more nightmares descend. I, of course, cannot leave my village in such a time. There is no telling what may happen to us here… …But it is my job to try to coax the Gorons back from their recent change of heart."

"I don't wanna leave all these people just to save ourselves!" Talo said firmly.

"Come on, Link! Can't you do something?" Beth asked him almost pleadingly.

"Isn't there…some way to make up with the Gorons?" Colin asked him.

"You'd think someone could go to the mines and do something…" Malo stated with the innocence of a child.

But then, perhaps the advice of the innocence of the mind of a child was what was needed to help mend this situation and heal the ones who had been hurt by the spread of the twilight.

"I do not know what is in the Goron mines-," Renado stated calmly. "-but surely they will soon come to understand it, and right what is wrong. Do not concern yourself with me, my son. You must flee this place as quickly as you can."

"Link-," the girl, Luda, said to him. "-Trying to go near the mines is very dangerous. I will be very sad to be separated from Colin and the others…but I know they must go. Please return them safely to their parents."

Link turned, walking a few feet away from the group to look up at the mountain thoughtfully.

As much as he knew he should go and take the children back to Ordon and safety before returning here, every second that he delayed, the twilight was spreading, tainting everything it touched.

The Goddesses had named him their hero, the hero of the people.

And, as much as he didn't want this burden, it was his to bear.

He had to do something.

So, he set his feet on the path to the mountain once more, his blue eyes flashing with determination and his love for this land.

_His land_.

_His home_.


	11. Chapter 11 The Fire Temple

**Thank You for your reviews! :**

**darkyami1214 - Enjoy this extra long chapter! :)**

**The Great Imaginer Zuzume - *smiles* Here you are again! :) **

**Author's Note : **

**This will be the last chapter update of this story until **_after Christmas_**. I've quite exhausted myself writing and typing it out for you in the past week or more.. So, consider this your early Christmas present. I also believe that this chapter has the most **_original content_** of any of the other chapters I've posted so far, as well as being the **_longest_**, so **_ENJOY_**! :)**

**I'm not saying I won't be working on more, there just won't be any updates until then, that's all. **

**The next chapter will most likely have **_Prince Ralis_** in it, so I'm **_VERY EXCITED _**to write it! :)**

**Also, near the end of this chapter, where Link is listening to the spirit, and it says to him, "You shall find **_The One_** who you seek…", I changed that. The spirit actually said "**You shall fin**d One who you seek.", meaning Ilia. But, I changed it because I wanted to make it seem like the spirit was referring to his Special-Someone, his Mate, Prince Ralis. Unfortunately, I had to end it there, as the chapter was sooo long already, so Link hasn't had the chance to come to that conclusion yet. :(**

**But, it will definitely happen in the next chapter, so... *squeals with happiness now* Be expectant **_after_ _Christmas_** to find another update!**

**~Sweet-Hearted SilverEars~**

_**P.S. **PLEASE_** give me long reviews in return for all the **_HARD_** work I did on this for you all, I beg on bended knee. You've know idea how **_EXHAUSTING _**this was for me to do. I had to force myself to do practically nothing else but eat, sleep and take bathroom breaks, and I mean that soooo literally... So, **_PLEASE__ REVIEW_**! :)  
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**Chapter 11 The Fire Temple **or **The Gorons**

Link set off up the mountain once more with determination, climbing the netting that hung over the large cliff ledge slowly and laboriously, panting heavily as he finally pulled himself up and over, walking forward only to be met by the large goron that he had known would be standing guard there still.

"Ah! No humans allowed!" the big male rock-creature rumbled at catching sight of Link. "These lands ahead belong to the Goron tribe! The elder said no humans may pass!"

Link gasped when the goron rolled himself up in a hard ball, charging him, but he couldn't give up his mission that easily, so he took up the position that he had used in Ordon to keep the wayward goats in line, and he did manage to hold his ground for several moments before he was pushed back and off the edge of the cliff.

Midna slowed his fall substantially, but the hit was still hard, driving all breath from his lungs when his back hit the hard earth.

"A weak spirit is no match for the might of the Gorons! Do you understand me, human? Then away with you!"

Link pulled himself to his feet with difficulty, his body stinging and burning in places he hadn't thought possible from the impact as the goron turned away and headed back to his post.

Link sighed in annoyance, one hand rubbing at his sore left hip as he set off back down the mountain, intending to go somewhere quiet by himself to think on the problem of how to get past the gorons and into the mines, but Renado met him at the base of the path with a worried look on his unquestionably beautiful face as he checked Link over with his dark brown eyes, noting the hand that still touched his injured left hip lightly.

"Ah, how fortunate you are in one piece! I saw you heading up the mountain trail, so I was worried.-" Link smiled briefly, touched by his concern. "-Are you trying to reach the Gorons of Death Mountain?-" Link nodded in reply. "-It is far too dangerous, Link! They recognize only strength! A normal person could never persuade them… But…I do know one person who was able to best them and earn their trust… His name is Bo. You may know him as the Mayor of your hometown, Ordon. Please, go to him. And while you are there, please let him know that the children are safe. Of course, getting them back would be best…but we could not keep them safe from the monsters on the road without a horse and cart… Please… Return to Ordon and inform the parents that their children are free from harm. Give them my word."

Link nodded, touching Renado's arm briefly with his free hand before he went back toward the direction of the Inn with a slight limp in his step, leaving the Shaman there to follow or not follow him as he chose.

He was just about to enter the building to talk to Colin and the others before leaving for Ordon when he heard galloping hooves and the hideous shrieks of goblins coming his way.

To his shock, Epona rounded the bend of the road into town, without the goblins as they must have fallen off her back, so crazed with terror as she ran that she didn't see Link, so he was forced to leap aside, crying out at the pain it caused to his hip as he did so.

But he pushed himself to his feet again regardless, running after her quickly and leaping onto her back from behind, not surprised when she panicked further, most likely thinking him one of the goblins, but he eventually managed to bring her under his control, calming her with his familiar touch and soft, loving voice easily.

"Hmm…" Midna commented, popping up to hover beside them both in the air with an impish grin. "You're not to shabby a wrangler after all! Won't this make getting back to your town a lot easier? Now go finish your errand so we can get back! Get a move on!"

Link nodded, intending to do exactly that by pressing on and ignoring his injury, but first he wanted to say goodbye to the children, mostly Colin.

So he swung his right leg back over Epona, planning to dismount, but the second his feet touched the ground his legs buckled beneath him, and he screamed in agony as the pain in his hip flared beyond what he could take, falling to the ground heavily, trembling in pain as he lay there, feeling Midna's tiny hand touch his left shoulder gently.

"_Link_!" she chastised him sharply. "Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?"

"No time..," he panted softly. "Need to.. get to Ordon.. quickly.."

"_You stupid fool_.." she hissed at him, fading into his shadow fast since she heard the door of the Inn open, and Renado running toward him quickly. "All that we have accomplished will yet be in vain if you don't look to yourself first…"

"I'm sorry…" Link whispered in answer.

"For what?" Renado asked him in confusion, having reached his side now.

Link shook his head silently, a single tear running down his right cheek at the pain of his now-throbbing hip, gasping as it flared hotter when Renado tried to help him up and get him to the Inn.

"_Stop_!" Link begged him, panting as he shook with the pain of it, relieved when the other man let go of him quickly. "I can't- Please.. I can't get up.."

Renado nodded, turning toward where the others were watching them from outside the Inn worriedly.

"_Barnes_!" the shaman called to the only other grown man there besides him and Link. "Help me get him into the Inn. He can't stand up, even with support."

The man nodded, disturbing Link with his eager expression as he came toward him, but he bit his own tongue to hold back his protest, knowing it was necessary if he was to be healed with all speed.

They carried him into the Inn and up the stairs as carefully as they could, only jostling him a few times badly enough for him to cry out at the pain, laying him down on his back in one of the beds in the upper chamber gently.

The children had followed, and Renado motioned them as well as Barnes away now.

"Leave us," the shaman said softly. "I will call if I need assistance."

They protested, but eventually all of them shuffled out of the room and back downstairs.

Renado turned back to Link when they had gone, his expression sympathetic as he looked at him.

"I'll need to get you out of your clothes to assess the damage."

Link nodded wordlessly, his cheeks flushing light-pink as he shivered at the thought, not liking the idea but knowing it was necessary.

"I understand.."

The shaman helped him unbuckle his sword and shield from his back, followed by the belt at his waist, setting his belongings beside the bed carefully before assisting him with the removal of his clothes, careful not to jar his hip as he helped him off with his undergarments as well since they covered most of the affected area.

Link shuddered at being undressed before the man, feeling naked and helpless despite the fact that Renado was a healer, not a warrior, relieved when he handed Link a dark, thick black cloth to drape over his groin for modesty.

Link hissed in pain when Renado touched his hip gently, probing at it with tender fingers to figure out what was wrong.

"Well, it's definitely bruised," he said as he sat back in the small wooden chair beside the bed as he looked at him. "But that doesn't explain why it pains you so much that you could not stand on your own. I believe the bone to be cracked below the skin. I have medicine here that will heal it in two days, but it will put you to sleep for one."

"_One whole day_?" Link gasped, yelping in pain when he forgot himself and tried to sit up.

"Yes," Renado said, helping him to lay back down carefully.

"Do I have any other options?"

"No, not if you do not wish the healing to take weeks."

"But.. the gorons.. I have to-"

"It is my place to deal with the gorons, young Link. I merely need your assistance in the matter."

"No, Renado," Link admonished sharply, deciding to trust this man with his secret, his eyes flashing the proud blue of the hero as he stared him down intensely. "It is _my_ place to deal with the gorons, as it is _my_ place to deal with _all_ the other races and heal this land. The Goddesses have named me Their Champion in this matter. I will take the medicine, I will heal, then I will go to Ordon so that I may speak to Bo of how I can help the gorons. Then I will return here to do so. The Goddesses shall guide me to this course to save Their world and fulfill my destiny so that I may live in peace once more."

Renado stared at him with wide brown eyes, speechless for once as he looked at him with new eyes, taking in the garb and features of the hero of old that he had often studied in his books, going to retrieve the tiny bottle of medicine from the wardrobe at the foot of the bed Link was lying in, handing it to him carefully, watching him drink it all with his head tilted back as he swallowed, his pink lips completely encircling the bottle's opening as he drank it quickly.

"I apologize for not recognizing you, Hero.. If there is anything I may do to help?.."

"Just keep Barnes out of here.." Link said as he handed him the bottle back and pulled the covers up over himself, already drifting into the medicine-induced sleep. "I don't want that man around me while I am venerable.. We'll talk more later after I return from the mountain.."

* * *

><p>Link woke the next morning, readying himself after relieving the most pressing concerns, bidding the children farewell and thanking Renado, noticing Barnes jealous look out of the corner of his eye when he embraced the shaman briefly before mounting Epona, careful of his still-tender hip, and setting off for Ordon with one last wave to them all.<p>

Once he got out of the village, jumping Epona over the gate, he reined her in as he heard the mail carrier call out to him, watching him approach quickly.

"Mr. Link! WAAAAAAIT! Greetings, Mr. Link! I have come to deliver a letter. It is a letter from Ooccoo.-" The strange man handed him the letter. "-Well, my business is concluded! Onward to mail!"

He watched the man run off again before opening the letter from the strange bird-like creature that he had saved from a clay pot in the forest temple, laughing quietly at the thought as he read it's contents quickly.

'Dear Adventurer,

I was so happy to meet you and spend a bit of time with you! I am planning a trip to a new location, just so you know. If you continue your journeys, we might see each other again! So take care of yourself…

P.S. I didn't have a chance to tell you this last time, but I have a son. I'll introduce you if we meet again! He's a good boy who can help you like an item, so be nice!

From Ooccoo.'

He was still laughing as he put the letter away in his pouch and them kept riding, going over a small bridge and killing a pair of goblins and two large, mutated, bird-like creatures from horseback before entering a stone canyon, encountering and destroying another goblin there as well as on the other side of the stone tunnel with no ceiling, then two more as well as another mutant bird.

He killed two more goblins, making it a total of eight, before he finally rode into Coro's clearing.

"Hey, guy! How's the oil level in your lantern?" Coro called to him as he rode past on his way to Ordon. "I'll fill your lantern to the brim for just twenty rupees!-" Link felt kind of sorry for the guy living out here all by himself, wondering if there was a reason for that that was much like his own, so he tossed him his lantern and the rupees, wanting to get up and down from Epona's back as little as possible because of his wound. "-That's great, guy. Let me refill your lantern! Say, guy, you going somewhere now? You just remember that the world's a mess, guy! Seriously! You watch your back out there!"

Link nodded, turning Epona back toward Ordon again, riding past the pool where he had bathed before leaving here the first time with a slight smile, across the long wooded bridge, soon reaching the clearing in front of his former home.

He dismounted from Epona, a low moan of pain escaping him at the ache in his hip as he did so, leading her over to the grassy alcove as he'd used to, fetching her a bucket of fresh, cool water as well since he didn't know how long he would be here, patting her large nose soothingly before he headed into the main village, heading directly for the Mayor's house.

"LINK?-" the big man gasped when he saw him. "-Whoa, it IS you Link! You're safe and sound! Your clothes… What happened to you, lad?"

"Oh, this and that," Link answered with a laugh, gasping in surprise when Bo grabbed him around the waist in a hug, about to squeeze Link tight before he protested quickly.

"_Wait_! Don't, please.. You'll hurt me.."

Bo gasped, his eyes widening as he looked down and saw where the injury was because of how the bandages made Link's tunic lay against his body wrong because of their thickness.

"_You're hurt_!"

"I'll be alright," Link said with a wince when he released him.

"_What happened_?"

"I'll explain everything, but.. Could we go inside? I rode Epona all the way here, and.. I'm a bit stiff and sore.."

"Of course. C-Come quick! Inside!"

* * *

><p>After Link had told him almost everything, Bo nodded, just taking it all in as Link stood up and walked around so that he wouldn't get any stiffer from sitting for too long.<p>

"So you're the Hero.. The Champion chosen by the Goddesses.. That's quite an honor, lad. I assume you wish for me to keep this information hushed up, yes?"

"I would prefer it so."

"Your secret is safe with me, then. The dark gods themselves couldn't drag it from me."

"Thank you. Renado knows."

"Of course."

"There's yet more to be told, Bo.."

* * *

><p>"I see… So the young'uns are in Kakariko village. Well, that's good… Renado's an old friend. If they're in his care, then we can relax. So… Don't keep me waitin', lad! Tell me of my little girl! Ilia is there with the rest of 'em, right?-" Link grimaced at the question as he walked, wishing he could tell him it was so just so it would seem like he had things under control, but remaining ominously silent. "-…Oh! I see… That ain't what I wanted to hear… Ahh… But Link… I guess I need to think of all five of those poor kids, not just my own… They're all in danger. What I should be asking is how I can help out…"<p>

"I need your help, Bo," Link admitted quietly. "I have to negotiate with the gorons to get them to let me in their mines so that I can help them."

"What's that, now? The Gorons of Death Mountain?"

"Yes. Renado told me that you might be able to help us-, I mean me, to help them."

"I see… So Renado told you that…"

"Yes."

"Well, it's true… I did defeat the Gorons in a contest of strength and earned their trust… With the help of a little secret. I CAN teach you the secret…but can you promise me that you absolutely, positively will NOT disclose it to anyone?"

"Yes, of course, Bo. It's the least I can do since you and Renado are keeping my secret."

"Good. All righty, then. Absolutely no one! Come this way.-" Link nodded, following him into another room in the house quickly. "-Link, you've heard of Sumo wrestlin', right? Gorons like to match strength in Sumo contests. Luckily for you, the basics of Sumo are the same as stoppin' chargin' goats… You wanna hear more?"

"Yes."

"All righty, then. I'll teach you the basics of the ways of Sumo. If you're getting' in a Sumo match, chances are you're in an arena like this. The first fella to push his foe outside the arena wins. Step forward and grab your foe to try to push him out. Let a retreating foe taste your open palm. Sidestep a foe's advance. Three techniques, all of 'em pretty basic. Master all three and you'll be shovin' folks out of the arena in no time, lad!… So, there you go : the basics of Sumo. Need to hear 'em again?"

"No."

"Rather then explain a lot, why don't we just get to it? Come into the ring, lad."

Bo took off his shirt, so Link did the same, and they got into the ring, crouching as they faced each other.

Link did his best, and almost got the upper hand, but the pain in his hip and his inexperience didn't help matters, and Bo eventually managed to toss him out of the ring.

Link bit back a cry of pain as he landed; mentally cursing about the Mayor's roughness as he pulled himself to his feet stiffly, one hand clutching at his wound as he shuddered in pain, sweat beading on his forehead and upper-lip at the intensity of the flaring agony.

"What's the matter, Link? Did you think I was gonna take it easy on you? If you can't prevail in a match like this, then you'd have NO chance against a Goron! For example… Counter the open-palm strike by grabbing them and shoving them back! All righty. If you understand… Come at me again!"

"_Yes_!" Link hissed, angry now and determined to show him that he could handle this, could deserve the title of Hero that the Goddesses had bestowed upon him.

They took up their previous positions in the ring, and Link got him out in three moves, a push, a sidestep, then another push.

Bo stood up where he sat outside the ring, crossing his arms over his chest with a proud look on his face.

"Hmph!" he grunted. "You seem to understand the basics. All righty, next time I won't go easy on you, lad. Fight me as if you were fightin' one of the Gorons!"

Bo knocked him out of the arena again.

"What was that, lad? You've got to put your back into it! I shared the spirit of Sumo with you, lad, and you've gotta remember it!"

"_Yes_!" Link hissed again, really getting riled up now, his blue eyes flashing like fire, and he knew that his hair would be standing on end if he were in his wolf-form.

They took up their positions again, and Link's pain melted away as he actually did growl like the wolf, making Bo's eyes widen at the sound, and then he took the man out in a series of fast, hard-to-follow moves quickly.

"Whoa ho! Not to shabby, lad! With your natural talent, I'm sure you can take on the Gorons…"

Both of them put their shirts back on and returned to the front room of the house.

"You're gotten a sight stronger in the short time you've been gone, Link… Strong as you are, though, you can't hope to beat the Gorons wrestlin' with power alone. Those Gorons are made of rock! Naw, the secret to beatin' the Gorons…is locked away in that chest. Take it with you, lad."

Link nodded, walking over to the chest that stood by the fireplace, opening it and taking out a pair of heavy boots.

"You can probably tell, those boots are made of iron, lad. Whoever wears 'em won't easily be pushed around…even by a Goron. If you're fixin' to fight a Goron, be sure to wear those boots. …Let's be square, though, lad : you can't ever tell ANYONE about those boots! 'Specially Renado!"

Link nodded, promising him once again.

"I won't tell a soul, Bo. I'd better get going. The gorons… And the children… They need me."

"Of course, lad. Let me give you something to help with the pain of your wound.. I wouldn't want my training to ruin your chances.."

"Thank you."

* * *

><p>Link left the Mayor's home and headed back across the tiny bridge to the center of the small town, leaving Bo to tell the others news of the children, heading for his former home quickly to retrieve Epona.<p>

They started off on their way back to Kakariko, but he stopped and dismounted at the spring, wanting to check on the spirit and assure himself that everything was still all right here.

The wolf was there in the small alcove, and he drew his sword when the animal crouched and leapt at him, passing out again and once more waking in the misty place.

Hyrule Castle stood enshrouded with fog behind the skeleton warrior.

"We meet again," he said quietly as he watched Link closely, noticing his wound right away. "You have a little more of the look of a hero then you did before… Do you feel ready to earn your next skill?"

"I do," Link answered him firmly.

"Very well… But before we begin, I must test you to ensure you have mastered the last skill I taught you…the ending blow. Now then, come at me!"

Lin nodded briefly, barely giving him warning before he leapt forward, knocking the warrior onto his back easily despite his own wound, driving the breath from him with his blade.

The man pulled himself to his feet once he had recovered, addressing him with the tones of a proud teacher in his soft voice.

"Excellent. It appears you are certainly capable of performing my lost art. Very well. My second skill is… The shield attack! Let it be hewn into your mind!-" They both took up a sparring stance across from each other, and Link vaguely registered the circle of six tall pillars that bore the royal insignia at their tops that were barely visible in the foggy distance. "-No matter how well-tempered a blade is, if a foe is clad in armor and bears a shield, the sword will do it no harm," the warrior continued to speak. "When facing such a foe, you must use your arm to thrust your shield against the defenses of your enemy, causing the fiend to recoil. Use your eyes to lock onto me, then try it! You have learned much, so I am sure you can see the moment when you can do a shield attack!"

Link nodded, slamming his shield forward quickly, catching him off guard with his speed, knocking him back forcefully before striking while he was stunned.

"Excellent! Open a hole in your enemy's defenses and use your sword to strike without hesitation! The shield attack I have just taught you can also be used to repel an enemy's projectile attacks. Would you practice?-" Link nodded in reply. "-Then repel my magical attack with your shield attack!"

Link readied himself quickly, sending the golden ball of light that the warrior conjured back at him with his shield.

"Perfect! When your enemies assail you with projectiles, this is how you will defeat them with ease! Done! You have learned the second of my hidden skills, the shield attack!-" Link nodded, demonstrating the attack once more before swinging his sword back up into it's sheath easily. "-But I have five more secrets to teach you…in time. The path to becoming the true hero is a long one, but once you have grasped all of the hidden skills, you shall be worthy of walking it. You must persist on the lonely path of the sword to obtain true courage and earn the strength to conquer the great evils of the world! Do not forget your discipline with the blade before we meet again!"

The warrior vanished, and Link woke back at the spring, reassuring himself that all was well with the spirit before mounting Epona once more and riding quickly for Kakariko village, back across the long wooden bridge, through Coro's clearing, and finally out into the vastness of Hyrule field.

He ignored all the monsters this time, other then to gleefully have Epona trample over them with her large hooves, knowing that they would only be replaced once more when the twilight received news of their demise, riding back over the small bridge ahead, jumping the gate and riding back into the village.

Link gasped when he saw a horrible sight before his eyes.

The children running into the Sanctuary as a hoard of goblins rode through the village, Colin running to knock Beth out of the way when she didn't move, clearly stunned with fear.

The fat goblin, obviously the leader, struck Colin and took him up with him onto his mount, holding the unconscious boy high by the scruff of his neck, obviously taunting Link.

Barnes did nothing despite his close proximity to the monsters, and Link turned his head to glare at the man angrily as he rode hard past him and after the fleeing creatures to rescue his friend.

Link's emotions were riding high, mostly anger, but his mind was sharp still, his head clear, and soon the goblins were all slain, their leader falling under Link's blade, his body sailing away to be forever lost in the gorge below the long gray stone bridge, Colin's unconscious form cradled against his chest despite the fact that his tunic was now spattered with the goblin's foul black blood from the fight, taking the boy back to Kakariko on Epona quickly, laying him down by the spirit's spring gently, supporting his limp body as he knelt beside him.

Then Colin moaned softly in pain, blinking open his light-blue eyes to stare up into Link's face uncertainly.

"Link… Is everyone…okay?" The boy looked around and saw everyone standing, or kneeling, around them, except Barnes, and sighed in relief. "…Good. Beth… I'm sorry. You know…for shoving you. Are you mad?" The girl shook her head in reply, a small smile curving her lips as she looked down at him.

"I… I think I finally understand," Colin said, turning his head back to look up at Link again. "I understand what my dad meant when he told me I needed to be stronger, like you, Link…-" Colin lifted his left hand high in the air as he spoke, clearly struggling to keep it there after his ordeal. "-He wasn't talking about strength, like lifting stuff. He was talking about being brave…-" Colin's small hand tightened into a fist, then fell back to lie beside the rest of him weakly. "-Link… You saved me, didn't you?" Link nodded with a smile. "-You… You can do anything. You can do something to help the Gorons in the mine too, can't you, Link?"

Link nodded again in answer, saying softly to him. "Of course, Colin love. Sleep now. You need rest."

Link felt a surge of supernatural-warmth within himself following his words, a wave of loving-power flowing out from his body through the symbol that was concealed on the back of his hand beneath his glove, sending the young boy into a sudden deep and dreamless sleep in his arms.

The children obviously thought that something was wrong, because they gasped and Talo tried to pull the other boy onto his back to carry him to the Inn, but Renado stepped forward to lift the boy into his arms, his eyes curious and filled with awe as he glanced down at Link, obviously having felt the surge of Goddess-Power since he was a Shaman, nodding to Link briefly as he turned away to take the boy inside, the children following after him quickly, except for Talo, who gave him a few strange glances backward as he walked before hurrying after the others.

Link stood up, glancing determinedly at the mountain, but then the pain in his hip flared hotly, piercingly, driving the very breath from his lungs with the agony of it, making him sink back to the ground, and an idea came to him.

He closed his eyes, focusing on the power that he could still feel heating the back of his hand, directing it toward his hip with his thoughts, opening his eyes when he felt blessedly-soothing heat cover his wound, a golden-light shining there, sinking into his body, feeling the power heal him beneath the skin as it sank deeper before draining away as though it had never been.

He stood up again, testing his hip now. It was stiff, but that was all, and he knew that it was healed, gratefully thanking the Goddesses silently, surprised when he felt the heat flare once more without him even doing anything, covering his back and other places, and he somehow knew that if he looked in a mirror, the scars from the purple-acid of the plant monster that he had killed in the Forest Temple would be gone, feeling the power fade once more.

He smiled, setting off for the center of town with a lighter heart, meeting Talo at the center of the village.

"I can't believe Colin…-," Talo said to him with wide eyes. "-I mean, that was a really brave thing for him to do, huh? Especially since he's such a weakling! Um… He IS gonna be all right, right?"

"Colin is _not_ weak, Talo," Link said sternly. "But, yes, he will recover. I know this."

"Oh.. That's good! And Malo! He hasn't even come by to say "Get well soon!" What's he thinking? He said he was gonna "get started," and he hasn't come out of that closed-up shop since! Link, could you talk some sense into that kid?"

"I will investigate the matter, yes. I still have a few things to do before I head for the mountain."

"Thanks, Link!"

Link nodded, going into the shop, looking around curiously.

"Hey…" Malo said to him in brief greeting. "You can look at stuff, but don't you DARE just take things… That's MY valuable merchandise, you want it, you pay for it… I decided to take on this unmanned shop… Buy something… It helps the whole village when you do…"

"Okay," Link agreed, pointing to a metal shield on the back wall. "I want that."

"A Hylian shield will cost you two-hundred rupees. Want one still or not?"

"I'll buy."

"I see. I SUPPOSE I can part with it… Well, you bought my last Hylian shield, so you'd better take good care of it! Maybe I can't become a hero…but I figure I can help people out with heroic business deals. You'd better work hard, too…"

"I will. This was a good idea, Malo. I'm proud of you, kid."

Malo's little cheeks flushed, pinkening with pleasure at his praise as he looked back at him over the counter.

"Thank you, Link."

"Of course. I'll come back to see you soon and keep an eye on your wares. You've about emptied my wallet for now. I'm going to go see Colin right now before I head up the mountain to the mines."

"Oh good. I'll slip out for a bit later when I close the shop for the night to see him."

"See that you do," Link said with playful-sternness, nodding to him with a small smile before exiting the shop.

From there he headed up the street, passing Talo with a nod and a smile as he went into the Inn, collecting various rupees from boxes in the lower room before heading up the stairs to see Colin.

Luda and Beth stood on either side of the bed that the boy was sleeping in peacefully when he entered the room, so he moved to speak to Renado for a moment quietly.

"Do not worry," the man said to him softly, still looking a little awed as he turned to look at him directly. "Thanks to you, he merely sleeps. So long as he continues to rest, he shall eventually open his eyes. And these two are doing a fine job of nursing him back to health…-" Renado turned to look at the children as he continued to speak. "-You two! Be calm in here!-" Then he turned back to Link, speaking softer again. "-I shall watch over the children of Ordon, I swear it. They shall never encounter danger while I breathe. I will take full responsibility for them until they are returned safely to the village. You need not worry for them."

Link nodded, looking relieved, but he took Renado by the arm, leading him out of the room and into the wall-less room at the top of the stairs, speaking to him softly as he released him so as not to be overheard by Beth and Luda.

"Renado… Would you take a look at my hip? I'm sure that it's fully-healed, but I just want to be sure before I head to the mines. I have no way of knowing what I'll face, and fighting with a serious injury could be dangerous."

"Oh. Yes, of course, Link."

Renado slid a hand inside Link's tunic at his nod, probing at his hip with gentle fingers, watching the fair-haired man's face for any signs of pain as he did so. "Does it hurt at all?"

"No. It's a bit stiff, but that's all. It should fade as I get moving."

Renado withdrew his hand as he nodded in comprehension. "Then you can remove the bandage now yourself. It's strange… Even the medicine that I gave you should not have worked this quickly…"

"It didn't," Link explained in hushed-tones, definitely not wanting anyone to hear this information. "It was the Goddesses power. It healed me. They also took away the remnants of a previous injury."

"It truly is a miracle…" the Shaman whispered in awe as he looked at him.

"Yes."

Just then they heard footsteps coming up the stairs, so Link shook his head briefly in warning to the other man.

"I'd better go now, Renado. I'll return as soon as I can."

"Don't rush yourself and get hurt again," the shaman admonished him quickly. "Take all the time you need. The children will be safe here, Link."

Link smiled, nodding and placing a hand on Renado's shoulder. "I know. I trust you to look after them in my stead."

Barnes reached the top of the stairs then, and Link withdrew his touch quickly, heading past him and down the stairs without a word, casting one last glance back up at Renado's confused face where he now stood at the railing beside Barnes, before nodding and leaving the Inn quickly.

He headed up the path from before, leaving all thoughts behind but those of his mission, stopping briefly to remove the bandage on his hip and put it in his endless-pouch to discard later. Then he climbed up the netting on the high cliff, pulling the iron boots that Bo had given him out of the pouch, putting them on quickly before continuing up the path to confront the large male goron that had injured him before.

"Ho! You are back again, human? You will never pass! You cannot hope to match our brute-force!"

The goron rolled forward as he had before, but this time Link caught him, managing to hold his ground thanks to the boots, and this time _he_ tossed the goron over the cliff, watching him roll away down the path to the village, out of control, laughing loudly as he dusted his hands off against each other before he kept going up the path. He tossed three more gorons off down the mountain when they charged him, then climbed up the black-metal steps that he remembered from his time here as a wolf, tossing another goron away down the path quickly.

Next he encountered goblin archers along the path, so he summoned a hawk with convenient blades of grass, directing the beautiful bird to take them out one by one, sending it off with a smile and a gentle stroke of it's feathers, taking care to avoid the hot jets of steam from the geysers as he moved on again, jumping down several high ledges to get to the clearing below the high place where the gorons lived.

He saw a pair of gorons watching him from on high, one of them pointing at him before conferring with the other, the one that had pointed at him hopping up onto the other one's back when he curled into a ball, popping up to send him into the mountain to converse with the gorons inside. He continued down the rest of the ledges and into the clearing, gasping in shock when they started to throw large flaming balls of brimstone down at him, although he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised considering their treatment of him so far, staring with wide blue eyes, running out of the way quickly when they threw an absolutely huge flaming-hot pillar of rock, Midna popping up out of his shadow once it had landed, burrowing itself into the hard earth by several feet.

"Whoa… This looks dangerous… Is this the traditional Death Mountain welcome? Eee hee!"

Link smiled at her joke, shaking his head at her, but he didn't comment and she faded back into his shadow quickly.

After that he went over to the nearest goron, putting on the iron boots before rolling into him, driving the boots into his hard stone belly repeatedly until he curled up into a ball, removing the boots and hopping up onto his back quickly, getting an easy ride up to the next ledge that way. He turned right then, doing the same with the next goron, landing on an old, rusted pipe, hopping down off of it and onto the path below, avoiding the geysers until he came out above the hot springs, following the path by using the boots so that the geysers wouldn't send him over the edge with their forceful blasts of burning-hot air.

He had to use his shield as well as the boots on the next goron, stubbornly smacking him in the belly with it repeatedly until he finally rolled up into a ball so he could fly up to the next ledge, again avoiding the geysers as he kept going, tossing two more charging gorons off down the mountain with the help of the boots, finally emerging to the place where he had seen the two gorons conversing earlier, making the next two gorons curl into balls and hopping onto their stony backs, cutting open two wooden barrels there with his sword to collect two hearts that healed his minor hurts and bruises gained from scaling the mountain, putting the iron boots on again just in case, and finally went inside.

He was grateful he had when a large group of male gorons made ready to charge him the second he got inside, though he had no idea how he could possibly hold off all of them at once.

"ENOUGH!-" he heard someone call out to them, watching a goron with a strange red marking on his large belly come out of a tunnel at the back of the huge stone room. He was slightly smaller then the guards on either side of him, though, somehow, Link doubted that he was any less formidable then the others when it came to physical actions. "-Is this young one such an imposing enemy that you must all gang up on him? I think not, Little Brothers.-" The other gorons let him approach the one speaking, and he stood below him where he stood on a slightly-raised metal-platform with steps leading up to it, watching each other curiously. "-I am a Goron elder, little human. I am called Gor Coron."

"Link," he responded simply, not sure he wanted to get into all that 'hero' business when he wasn't comfortable with the way Renado and Bo had treated him when he told them, but, from the widening of some of the nearby gorons black eyes, the name was enough to trigger recognition somewhere deep in their hearts.

"I see," Gor Coron said seriously. "Because of certain…circumstances, I must lead the Goron tribe in place of Darbus, our tribal patriarch. Tell me, little human, do you come from the village below?"

"Yes, but Kakariko is not my home. I don't have a home right now. Not since I left Ordon."

"Well, regardless, you have done well to come this far. You are strong…for a human. However… The mines beyond here are sacred to my tribe. Outsiders are not allowed. Unless… I'm afraid the name of the hero of old is not enough. You must prove yourself, to me, and to my people. There must be a test to prove your worth before you may enter the mines."

"Name it," Link said firmly, his blue eyes intense, burning with his determination as he looked back at the elder respectfully.

"I could make an exception…" Gor Coron continued to speak. "-…but you would have to beat me in a contest of power. Are you willing to try that, little human?"

"Yes."

The pair of them got into the nearby Sumo ring, Link thankful for his boots as he took him on, swerving twice to the side to avoid the elder's crushing grip, pushing him out of the ring and onto his back with an inward smile.

"Young Warrior…-" Gor Coron said to him, a new respect in his eyes that had not been there before as he stared up at Link. "-You have a strong will…and sharp eyes.-" He pulled himself to his feet before continuing to speak. "-Fine traits… Want to see how well you can use them?-" They walked back to the bottom of the metal steps together. "-You have seen it, I would bet… The mountain, erupting without pause… When the mountain began to rage, all four of us elders and Darbus, our patriarch, went inside to investigate it's anger. We have a treasure that was entrusted to us by the spirits, and we must protect it. Do you understand?-" Link nodded, having his suspicions about what the '_treasure_' really was. "-But the moment Darbus reached out and touched the treasure…everything went wrong. He collapsed…and before our very eyes transformed into an unspeakable monster! He began to rage through the mines, trailing ruin behind him…and the eruptions grew more frequent and more severe. We used all of our strength to seal him deep inside the mountain… It…grieved us to do this to our patriarch…but we had no other course of action. I ask this favor of you, young warrior… Go to the aid of Darbus! Make no mistake, the spirits have guided you here. I, Gor Coron, need your help…-" The elder's big blue eyes were earnest as he looked at Link. "-On behalf of my entire clan, I ask you for your aid! …You two!-" he called to the two guards standing in front of the tunnel. "-Let the young warrior pass."

The two gorons moved out of the way with obvious reluctance, but they couldn't disobey a direct order from their elder.

"The mines are full of traps-," Gor Coron told him. "-all placed to protect the treasure from thieves. And worse then traps.. Since the eruptions began, foul creatures of all shapes have settled into every corner of the mines. Getting to the patriarch's location will not be easy. I would prepare your blade, young warrior."

Link nodded to him respectfully, then headed back toward the way that he had come in, intending to go down to the hot springs for a quick-soak before heading into the mines.

"Hey! Wait up, Brother!-" a goron called out to him loudly. "-If you are headed down, I recommend using this elevator! This elevator leads straight to the hot spring, Brother! Just use your weight to activate the switch!"

The goron moved out of the way, and Link went into the elevator, putting on the boots again so that the elevator would take him down to the springs. He shifted two large rocks in this room, one creating a shortcut from the clearing where the big lava-pillar was to here, the other leading to the hot springs.

Link stripped out of his tunic, leaving his white leggings on since he refused to strip all the way down to his undergarments in front of the five gorons present, placing his clothing and belongings beside the tunnel entrance, peeling his leggings off once he was in the hot water, laying them out on a rock at the far left end of the pool to dry, sitting at the base of that rock, leaning back against it with a soft-groan at the wonderful feel of the hot-water surrounding his travel-weary body, loosening the tight-muscles in his stiff-hip slowly.

The three gorons sitting across from him didn't show much interest in him, except to study his shivering body, which he forgave them for since he knew he must look very different from what they were used to seeing, grateful he had left his undergarments on now, having no desire to hear any comments about how his manhood compared to their own, knowing the difference must be most significant.

The goron sitting the farthest to the left spoke up first. "Feels good, doesen't it? Sitting in a hot spring warms up your body and soul…and gradually fills you up with energy, Brother. Even gorons need to cleanse their spirits once in a while…"

The goron closest to the first one spoke next. "Morning baths are the best, Brother! Nothing tastes better then after-bath breakfast!"

The goron closest to Link spoke now. "Ahhhh… Nice and hot. Just like I like it… What? What is a human doing here?"

"I'm Link," he explained, holding out his hand to him, wincing a little when the goron shook it, dropping that hand into the hot water after it was released. "Gor Coron asked me to investigate the trouble in your mines, after I beat him in a contest to prove my worth to him."

"I thought the elders told us not to let humans near the mountain, but… I suppose it is no business of mine. Come into the hot spring and refresh yourself, Brother!"

"Thanks," Link said with a nod, the two of them falling into a comfortable silence.

Link stayed in the spring for an hour and a half until his hip was feeling much better, not willing to stay any longer as he didn't want his skin to wrinkle up to badly from the water, not having the same rocky-protection as the gorons did, bidding farewell to the goron, who he had discovered was named Peter, Pete for short, dressing and strapping his sword and shield back onto his back after he was dried off fully from the hot air surrounding the spring, tightening the belt holding his endless-pouch back around his waist before using the elevator to go back up, taking a deep breath before finally entering the mines.

* * *

><p>The scent of brimstone was heavy in the air, and it was <em>so hot<em> that Link started sweating instantly as he went down the obviously goron-carved path ahead carefully, not wanting to slip and meet a deadly end in the boiling pools of lava. He jumped across several rock platforms, waiting for the spouts of lava to die down patiently, coming to a metal platform, cutting his way through two wooden-barriers with his sword, using the heavy iron boots to activate a switch that temporarily shut off the trap ahead, removing the boots and running through while the flame was out, doing the same for a second flame ahead, moving fast as he jumped across to another platform and coming to a ladder, climbing it quickly since something had decided to throw balls of brimstone at him for target practice, reaching the top of the metal platform's roof, jumping across a small gap and killing a lava-slug to collect a green rupee.

He then collected twenty-one rupees in total from various pots and a small gold chest, jumping back over the gap and across a stone circular platform to land safely on the other side of the cavern, jumping to the left across a gap, killing a second lava-slug before activating a switch, running quickly back along the ledge until he was safely past the flame spurt, wincing in pain when he got burnt by a falling lava-slug. He killed three lava-slugs after jumping down to where they were, collecting two green rupees before climbing back up and jumping to the left onto what was obviously a switch of some kind, putting on the boots and riding it down to the ground, watching a metal gate open, rolling aside the door behind it and going through.

He emerged into a room full of metal platforms, walking forward and turning right to descend to another platform, killing three goblins before putting his sword away again with a flourish, collecting a green rupee, breaking various pots and barrels to collect a blue rupee, opening a bigger chest between two floor lanterns to retrieve a small key. He then went back up to the platform he had come in onto, going left now, jumping across two rotating platforms with interesting designs painted on their surfaces, coming to a locked door, opening it with his key before tossing it back into his endless-pouch and going through the door. He collected a green rupee from beneath a rock before walking down a metal ramp, gasping as he saw the mutant lizard at the bottom, killing it with six hits to it's flat red tail from his sword, but not before receiving another burn for his troubles, wincing at the sting of it.

He collected a green rupee from a box, then jumped across various rocks platforms, avoiding the flame spurts carefully, killing a second lizard when he reached a large metal platform, jumping across another stone platform to kill a third lizard, collecting hearts from boxes and barrels. Then he grabbed a chain and pulled aside a wall that was blocking his way to the next door, backtracking and finding the way through before the wall slid back into place, smiling as he entered the next room. He walked forward, staring in awe at the shining blue stone that decorated the cavern, hopping down into the water below after putting on the boots, walking through a small opening in the underwater barrier, stepping onto the switch ahead, his blue eyes widening as he was abruptly yanked off his feet, deciding he did _not_ like the shiny blue stone after all when he found himself hanging upside-down by his ankles, emerging into a small circular chamber with a Sumo ring at it's center.

An obviously elderly goron stood within the ring. Link approached him respectfully, giving no sign by his expression that the goron smelled of fire and ash, heat rising in plumes of steam off his bent back. He was clearly much older then Gor Coron, for he held a cane in one shaking hand.

"Ah…-" he spoke slowly. "-I thought I felt a presence…but what a surprise to find a young human… Word has come to me of you…and if Gor Coron has faith in you, then your heart must be true. …I am one of the four Goron elders. Gor Amoto is my name. You are heroic, young human. Please, you must lend this tribe your power.-" Gor Amoto handed him a metal shard of some kind now. "-That is one of the key shards that, when merged together, form the key to the room where Darbus is being held. He is our patriarch. The key is split into three pieces. Each of us elders keeps a piece. You must hurry to the other elders!"

Link nodded to him. "I shall."

He collected a red rupee from a small gold chest, and the dungeon map from the larger blue and silver chest before climbing up a ladder at the very back of the room to the left of a strange statue there. He turned to the left, coming across several pots and rocks, collecting hearts and two green rupees before finding Ooccoo inside another pot.

"Phew! Free at last!-" she squawked up at him. "Gracious… You're that nice fellow who helped me out the other day! How nice to see you again! Well, now that we've found each other again, let's stick together for a bit, hmm? I'll be right with you, so if you want to warp out, just let me know!"

Link nodded, smiling as she flew up to perch on his left shoulder with a small squawk, going through the door just ahead. He wasn't pleased to be back in the room with the shining blue stone, seeing the water far below as he was on the second level now, slipping his boots on quickly and walking across the right wall to get to the other side, ignoring the lava-slug as he went, going through the next door. He found another switch, putting on the boots to activate it, his stomach rebelling as he was once again yanked off his feet roughly to hang upside-down on the ceiling. Thankfully, he managed to not get sick, ignoring the lava-slugs and even managing to find his way to where he needed to go, stumbling and slightly dizzy, shaking as he went through the door ahead, cursing his fear of heights to the world of the Dark Gods.

He ran forward quickly once he had recovered slightly, drawing his sword as he went, killing four goblins and a fire-bat before activating yet another switch, using the giant moving magnet it had activated reluctantly to get to where he needed to go, going up a short ramp to kill two more goblins and two fire-bats before activating another switch. This one activated another magnet, which carried him to a different platform where he killed two goblins and collected a green and blue rupee before going through the door ahead.

He found himself in a chamber full of water, killing four spider-like creatures and collecting another blue rupee, searching the water from above, finding a blue and silver chest, jumping in and holding his breath while he used the boots to retrieve the key within. He return to the surface, swimming to the far-left of the room, putting on the boots again when he reached a metal cage, going below the water to push a box out of his way before going in, breathing again once he got back to the surface, climbing out of the water, searching until he found another switch, activating it with the boots and jumping into the blue glow reluctantly.

He walked upside-down to a metal platform, taking the boots off before finding yet another switch, jumping into the glow it activated when he stood on it with the boots on again, walking up the wall to reach another metal platform, landing next to a floor-torch. He found a red rupee in a small gold chest, tossing it into his endless-pouch before cutting a different kind of switch with his sword, watching the deep-blue gem turn bright-yellow as it opened a gate for him to go through, jumping down and across to it before it closed again, killing two goblins, collecting a green rupee before going over to some more shining blue stone, using the boots to walk up the wall until he reached another metal platform, cutting through the thick rope with his blade that held up the gate that blocked the way to where he needed to go, collecting two green rupees from pots before jumping back down, ignoring the rotating statues with laser eyes as he went over the bridge, unlocking the door and going through to the next room.

He walked forward into the huge room, breaking barrels and finding a green rupee, cutting through a wooden barrier before walking up a ramp and turning right, going up another ramp and turning left, finding a key in a small gold chest in a corner to the far-left of the alcove behind some stacked boxes, leaving there and going straight to the other side of the big room, unlocking the door there and going through it. He jumped across a rotating ledge, up a small ramp, then across a long rotating platform, using the boots to hold on when the thing started to flip him over upside-down, grateful when he reached the other side.

He went through the door ahead, finding the second goron elder there, also in the middle of a Sumo ring. He could see as he approached him that this goron was very hairy, had a large red lower lip, small black eyes, and appeared to be holding a pipe.

"Oh… Ah… The young human. I am pleased to see you make it this far, Brudda… I am one of the four elders of the Goron tribe. I am called Gor Ebizo. You have heard of the plight of our patriarch. Otherwise you would not have come to see me. Here, take this, Brudda…-" Gor Ebizo handed him the second key shard. "-Now… There is one more shard, but seeing you has reminded me of the dangers that line the path to it… There is something that may help you… A weapon said to have been left in this mine by a hero of old. It is beyond price, and so we have protected it through generations… Now, when our tribe balances on the brink of ruin, it could aid in our salvation. The Hero's weapon is stored safely up ahead… Talk to the guard and take it with you, with the blessing of the Gorons."

"I shall," Link said respectfully, his mind racing now, wondering about the weapon he spoke of, certain that, whatever it was, his Namesake had once held it in his hands. Perhaps even Dark had as well. His thoughts made him eager to find it, to hold it in his own hands, feeling somehow as though it would bring him closer to the two lovers who had been dead and gone for centuries now.

He searched the cave, finding a yellow rupee in a small gold chest to the right of the statue at the back of the room. Then he climbed a tall ladder and went left, going forward and then left, then forward again until he came to a door and went through. He came out above the room with the long rotating platform, putting on the boots and walking over the walls to the left until he came to a platform, removing the boots so that he landed on it, going through the door there.

A set of iron bars slid over the door behind him, so he knew something must be up ahead that was important. He put on the boots when he saw shining blue stone in the distance and walked forward slowly. There was a large, make that huge, goron covered in armor on the other side of the blue stone, and he hopped up onto his small, but strong, feet as soon as he saw Link, grunting and grinding his fists together as he spoke.

"Whoa… Human? What business does a human have coming here? None! No business! This is a forbidden place! I will protect this treasure from you!"

The large goron leapt toward him, landing on the platform, and his enormous weight broke the thick chains that held the platform up. Link used his sword and his boots in a variety of ways to get in under the goron's guard, tossing him into the lava below three times when he rolled up into a huge ball, finally causing him to give up when he lost his helmet. The goron bounced back up onto the platform, collapsing where he landed and just sitting there, breathing deeply as he stared at Link with awe in his small, round blue eyes.

"Ugh… That…hurt a lot. Who knew that humans were capable of such feats of strength…-" The goron stood up now, still watching Link curiously. "-…Uh…maybe…you are…going to see the patriarch of our tribe?"

"Yes," Link said with a nod. "I am Link. Gor Coron has asked me to set things to rights in the mines, and to assist patriarch Darbus."

"…Ah! So THAT is why you are you! In that case, take the weapon of the Hero of the past… But in exchange you must save the patriarch of our tribe!-" The platform rose back up to it's former position slowly so that Link would be able to go on deeper into the temple. "-With skills like yours, even the patriarch can be brought back to his senses… Take the Hero's weapon and save our patriarch!"

Link went into the next room, the guard following after him, watching him open the chest and lift out the bow, confused as Link smiled, stroking the smooth wooden-length of the bow almost tenderly, his blue eyes softening as he gazed down at the weapon held in his hands. Link held the bow close to his chest, closing his eyes for a moment as he stroked it, swearing that he could almost feel the presence of the Hero of old and his Dark lover beside him. Link opened his eyes, turning to face the goron with eyes wet with moisture now, speaking softly as he continued to stroke the bow's length, almost caressing it.

"I thank you," he said to him seriously, his blue eyes dark with his strong emotions. "You have no idea how much this means to me. I shall guard it with my very life. _Always_."

The large goron blinked, clearly taken aback by Link's intensity.

"Uh, of course," he said in response. "My people thank you. This is where we must part ways. The path ahead is yours alone to travel, and I must go to Gor Coron with news of your progress."

"Of course. Thank him for me? I shall follow as soon as everything is secured within the mines. Until we meet again."

"Until we meet again," the goron said with a nod before going away back the way that they had come.

Link stroked the bow once more before putting it away in his pouch to kill a lava-slug to the left of him, collecting arrows and a blue rupee when he cut open the boxes there. Then he drew his bow, using it to shoot through the thick-rope holding up the red bridge to where he needed to go. He put it away again and went into the next room, killing a lava-slug before using the bow to shoot out all the red glowing eyes of the rotating statues, searching all the alcoves behind them for treasures. One of the things he found was the compass, along with two doors, going through the one that was not at the far side of the room from where he had come in, finding the third goron elder there.

This one was dark and thin, with lots of hair and strange markings, and appeared to be sleeping. Link cleared his throat softly, and the goron blinked open his large, deep-blue eyes slowly before speaking.

"Ah! You are here at last!-" He pushed himself to his feet with ease before continuing. "-I heard that you might pay a visit, young human. I am farsighted in all things. Here you go…the last key shard! Combine all three shards!-" The goron handed him the last shard, and Link drew the other two from his endless-pouch, fitting them together tightly before placing the large key back inside the pouch carefully. "-If you use that key, you can open the room where Darbus, the tribal patriarch, is being held. Who knows how powerful Darbus is in his new grotesque form… But I suppose I should trust your power, considering you came this far…"

"My Power comes not from me, but from the Ones on high," Link corrected him firmly. "From the Ones who created all life. From the Goddesses. I have never, nor will I ever, claim otherwise. It is the Goddesses who strengthen me to fight in Their name to save Their people."

"Oh, of course. I know this, young Hero. But… Hurry, now! To the patriarch's room!"

Link nodded respectfully to him, gathering fifty rupees from the blue and silver chest behind him before leaving again the way he had come in. This time he went to the door opposite from where he had come into this chamber, entering a large cavern with numerous rock-formations on the ceiling, going forward and rolling into an iron-grate to knock it down, killing four fire-bats before going through where the grate had been standing, jumping across to a rock ledge and killing three lava-slugs that almost fell down on his head from the ceiling, after that shooting all the slugs he saw long-range with his bow before they had the opportunity to fall on him.

After that he killed two of the giant mutated lizards, shooting them three times each in the tail with his bow. Eventually he came to a locked gate, searching around until he found a switch, activating it with the boots, walking along the shining blue ceiling, killing another lizard and then shooting a hidden deep-blue crystal switch, watching it turn bright-yellow as the gate opened, removing the boots and dropping down again, putting the bow away carefully before going through the door.

He emerged above the room with all the moving metal contraptions, finding fifty rupees in a blue and silver chest to the left before going right from the door he had entered, shooting down another red bridge, going across and activating a switch with the boots, being carried over to another, familiar platform, retracing his steps and eventually reentering the huge room with the numerous goblins archers that had shot at him earlier.

He killed the one lone goblin that approached him, then gleefully shot down all the archers from afar with his beloved bow, finding his way back to the rotating statue and shooting out it's red, glowing eye, pulling it forward to find a hidden passage, killing two goblins once he emerged by shooting the large barrel of dynamite behind them when they tried to do the same to him, finding and activating yet another switch with the boots, using the giant magnet that it activated to get back to another red bridge, dropping down onto it after opening it, putting away his bow and going through the door ahead. He shot down the two goblins that shot at him before descending into the room and killing three more, shooting down another red bridge, killing the hoard of goblins that came out after him quickly, realizing he must be close to the heart of the temple.

Sure enough, he found the door to the chamber where Darbus was just up ahead, pulling the key from his endless-pouch, unlocking the door before tossing the key back inside the pouch and, taking a deep breath to try to prepare himself for the horrors surely waiting ahead, pushed open the door and went inside slowly.

Link approached Darbus's hulking, limp form with caution, wanting to help him, but still no reckless fool, watching him wake slowly, shocked when he broke his thick shackles and chains, pulling free as through they were no more then thinly-woven rope, screaming and bellowing with rage as he charged Link, lumbering after him when he ran away quickly.

Link hated to do it, not wanting to hurt him anymore then he already had been, but he drew his precious bow, targeting the glowing gemstone on his forehead quickly, shooting it and causing Darbus to rage and bellow in pain, stomping around the small cavern like a child throwing a tantrum. Link quickly moved in while he was distracted by his agony, using the iron boots to be able to stand his ground, grabbing hold of the goron's dragging chains, using them to trip him up and make him fall, removing the boots quickly and running in to slash at the gem, retreating before he got up again, screaming and grunting in humiliated-anger about what Link had done to him.

Link used the same method twice more, finally bringing the darkness low with his actions, watching Darbus fall flat on his belly in exhaustion, taking hold of the fused shadow when it drifted down to him through the air slowly.

"Eee hee hee!-" Midna laughed, giggling as she popped up out of Link's shadow. "-Well done!-" she took the shadow from him with her hair carefully. "-Now we have two fused shadows… Hmm… You know, you've been very helpful so far, so as a reward, I'll tell you an interesting story. Zant. That's the name of the King of Darkness who cast this pall of shadows over your world. He's very strong. You would be nothing to him in your current state… But Zant will never be my King! I have nothing but scorn for his supposed strength. Not that your Zelda is much better… It still appalls me that the world of light is controlled by that princess. A carefree youth, a life of luxury… How does that teach duty?-" Midna put away the fused shadow before continuing to speak. "-…But I guess I shouldn't begrudge her the circumstances of her life. She didn't choose it, after all. And I would never wish harm on her… No, as long as I can get my hands on the Fused Shadows, I'll be just fine.-" Midna floated away from him a little ways, waving one tiny hand and opening a portal on the floor for them. "-Well, just one more left… Shall we? Eee hee hee!"

Link collected the heart container, gaining more strength from it, then went over to Darbus. The goron leader pushed himself to his feet, cradling his head in one large hand as he groaned loudly.

"Unngh… Urrgh… …Hmm? What am I doing here? Unngh… My head, it aches…"

Link wanted to help him, but he decided that the best thing to do was just to leave him be to recover and make his own way home out of the mines, so he walked back over to Midna, and she spoke.

"Want to go outside? Are you all done here?"

"Yes, thank you."

She took him through the portal and back to the spirit's spring in Kakariko.

"Heroic Link…-" the spirit spoke to him softly. "North of here, across the plain and past the great stone bridge, in the lands guarded by the spirit Lanayru… You shall find _**The One**_ who you seek…"

Link turned then, seeing the others standing there watching him, gasping softly as he saw Colin approaching him, the boy collapsing half-way there as he said Link's name. Link went to him quickly, catching his small arms in his palms, intending to help him up, but Colin shook his head in reaction, and Link let him have his way.

"Ilia…" Colin said softly as he looked up at Link. "You've got to save Ilia! Those monsters left me with the other kids, but they must have taken her somewhere else! Whenever I thought I couldn't go on, I would think of you and Ilia and hold on, Link…-" Colin pulled away from Link's hands, pushing himself back to his feet, his blue eyes determined as he stared down into Link's eyes where his friend still crouched on the ground before he stood as well, smiling down at Colin tenderly. "-Remember what I told you back in Ordon, Link? "When I grow up, I'm going to be just like you, Link!" That's what I said to you. So you don't have to worry about me anymore! Go help Ilia!"

Renado walked over to them both then.

"Leave the children to me-," the Shaman said to him quietly. "-I will watch over them, I swear it. Do not let their fates trouble you. Go to those who need you. In Hyrule, countless tales are told of the ancient hero…and your deeds bring them all to mind.-" the children stared up at Link in wonderment now, and he winced slightly, but he supposed that it was time that they found out who he was Destined to become. "-May the graces of the great Goddesses who shaped Hyrule bear you on your way," Renado finished what he had been saying, smiling at Link slightly.

"Thank you, Renado," Link said to him, his lips curving into a genuine smile, honestly touched at his gentle-worded blessing, embracing the man briefly before watching him and the children return to the Inn together.


	12. Chapter 12 Dreaming Of My Mate

**Thank You for your reviews! :**

****Writer-Girl-19 - ****_I'm so glad you updated! I'm rather enamored with this story so I always look_  
><em>forward to your updates, actually squealed when I saw this story had updated. Have to agree with Link in this chapter, can't stand Barnes. Every time I'd<em>_ play this game I'd want to stab the creepy git. Other than that, this is so far my favorite chapter, not sure why, it just is.__ I can't wait for when Ralis shows up. Keep up the fabulous work, darling._

**(I'm SUPER HAPPY that you like it so much! :) And guess what?.. This is the chapter where Ralis first appears! Yay! :))**

**darkyami1214 -** _Only three things to say. __ One: AWESOME CHAPTER. __Two: I really like how you added the sore hip. It seems that the fall didn't__ really do him any bothering damage. I glad I'm not the only one who noticed_  
><em>that. <em>_Three: I have a feeling that Barnes has a something for Link. I hope he__ doesn't try anything. __thanks for the chapter it was really great. Can't wait for more ^^_

**(I'm SUPER HAPPY that you like it so much! :) Yeah, I thought so, too. That was a _high _fall. I want it to seem real, like real life, you know? He would have gotten hurt in real life. Yeah, Barnes wants Link. Glad you noticed! I like to put in things that imply, but don't outright say, and see if my readers notice them! You did! :) And Barnes _does _try something in this chapter yes, but, watch Link smack him down! :) I LOVED that scene! Writing and rereading it! :))**

**l'Arbre - **_love your story!_

**(Thank You! :) So do I! :))**

**TheMysticalQ - **_Oooh, I can't wait for Ralis to come into the picture. Pwease__ make more awesome chapters soon!_

**(Here's the next chapter, and with Ralis on top! :) (..Is that like relish on top?.. lol. :) Enjoy! :))**

**leilatha -** _Cant wait for your update! I really like this story._

**(Here it is! Update! :) Enjoy! :))**

**This chapter is _Fondly Dedicated_ to ALL of you, for being SO AWSOME! Thanks for reading, SO MUCH! :)**

**Author's Note :**

** Well, here we are, another chapter! :) I hope you enjoy all of it, and review, though, I especially want feedback on my _original content_. Please, tell me what you think of it. I LOVE it all, and I think you will, hope you will. So, please, tell me how you like it?, or don't?, though, that seems unlikely. :)**

**Also, I'm sorry for the way that I ended this chapter, but, it was so long already, and, well.. *sighs* It was necessary to stop it there, but, thankfully, at this point, I have every intention of starting work on the next chapter this weekend, so, cross your fingers that I can do it. I also want to know, very much so, what is going to happen next. I know some, but, I never know it all until I get there with my pen. **

** But, anyway, enough from me for now. Enjoy! :) And, please, do review and let me know what you all think. Please. :)**

**~Sweet-Hearted SilverEars~  
><strong>

**Chapter 12 Dreaming Of My Mate** or **The Last Wounded Spirit** or **The Zoras** or **Finding Ilia And **_**The One** _

Link walked toward the center of Kakariko village, stopping for a few moments to pat Epona's nose, murmuring soft, nonsense words of affection to her before continuing to walk, pausing again when Renado spoke to him.

"Much has happened here, but at last I feel joy beginning to return to this village, thanks to you… Even Talo, who was so saddened by the incident with Colin, has at last recovered his good spirits. That young boy wanted dearly to help, so he keeps watch from the observation platform now… The lookout platform is high above the bomb shop. I am sure that if you were to go there to speak to Talo, he would be happy."

"I will, then," Link said with a nod and a brief smile. "Thank you, Renado."

"Of course."

From there Link headed up the street to the bomb shop, walking up the steps and going through the door reluctantly. Barnes was there, of course, so Link stepped up to the counter to speak to him about purchasing bombs.

"Hey now, bud!-" Barnes grunted at him. "-How 'bout this, now? Yep, I finally managed to get my numbers together and open up shop again. Well, sort of… I guess I've only got one type of bomb, but hey, that's one more then none, right? If only my storehouse had survived… But hey, ain't as bad as all that… I'll add more types as we go. For now, have yourself a look-see at what I've got so far! I sell these in packs of ten. You get a slight discount that way."

"I'll buy some. But I don't have a safe way to transport them."

"Oh good. What's this, now? You ain't got a bomb bag for carryin' bombs, huh? I've got a special offer goin' right now: my bomb bag premium kit, which comes with bag and bombs, just one hundred and twenty rupees! How 'bout that?"

Link winced inwardly at the price, but said, "I'll take it."

"That's right!-" Barnes continued speaking. "-Now you'll get to taste the true height of perfection with my finely-crafted bombs! Oh… And you can combine bombs and arrows to make bomb arrows for when you need ranged explosives! I'll send you a letter with the details later so you can read about it at your leisure. Well hey, were open twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, so you just drop on by anytime!"

"Thank you," Link replied, moving to turn away now and leave.

"Link, wait!" Barnes said, reaching out suddenly to grasp the sleeve of Link's tunic, his eyes widening when Link jumped back away from him quickly before his fingers could even touch cloth, clearly watching him now with wariness and dislike in his piercing blue eyes. "I… I just wanted to ask you when you intend to leave Kakariko…" Barnes said in a slightly wounded voice.

"I don't know when for sure," Link said honestly, relaxing somewhat now that he was out of reach of the man. "Soon. Most likely tomorrow at the earliest. I could use a good night's rest for a change. Perhaps at the Inn. And.. It's not personal, Barnes. I just.. I do not like to be touched.. I have.. difficulty trusting others.. Always have. It's just who I am."

"You don't seem to have a problem trusting Renado," Barnes pointed out challengingly, his voice hard now as he spoke.

"That's because _he_ does not want something from me that I cannot give," Link said harshly, all traces of civility gone from his eyes and voice, deciding that he had had enough of the tension between them, lighting the fuse of the invisible bomb to just get it over with quickly.

Barnes looked at him in astonishment, speechless.

"Do you think me a fool, that I do not see the way that you look at me? The way you hover around me, silently begging, yearning for even just a second of my attention, of my regard? I do not like you, Barnes, for many reasons, none of which I shall speak aloud. In the future, you will be courteous and professional when we meet, respectful, as will I, and the only form of _dealings_ that we will have together will be _business_ dealings when I come to your shop for your merchandise. _Have I made myself clear_?"

"Crystal," Barnes gulped, clearly nervous of him now, which suited Link just fine.

"Good. Good day, then," Link said, turning right now to go up the metal stairs to the upper floor of the building, climbing a ladder to exit the bomb shop through the second level's door. He made his way up to the building at the highest point of the village, listening to the goron there.

"I heard this town was also attacked by beasts, and that it had met with a terrible fate… It is shameful that we were so concerned with ourselves that we did not even help them. I am helping the little human up above keep watch to help relations between Kakariko and our people on Death Mountain! You want to check out the view from up top? It is pretty amazing scenery, Brother! Climb up on my back and take a look!"

"Sure, I'll climb on, thanks," Link said gratefully, feeling slightly tired from his verbal confrontation with Barnes and the long climb up to the building.

"Climb up, Brother!"

Link got up onto his back when he curled into a ball, getting a boost up to a small platform where he climbed up a tall ladder to reach the top finally, moving to speak to Talo.

"Link!" the boy said excitedly. "Check me out: I'm up here keeping watch for the whole town! Yeah! Any more monsters try to attack, and I'm gonna be ready! I'll shout my head off and warn everybody! Aw, gee, but if I had a bow, then I could just sit up here and shoot all those nasty monsters… Oooh! Hey! I know, Link! You can show me how to use one! C'mon, PLEASE? Just show me how you shoot a bow, Link! Okay?"

"Okay, I will."

"Oooh! YESSS! Okay! Malo's down there in front of the spring, so go down and find him, then show me from there!"

"Alright."

It wasn't long before Link found himself back down in front of the spring next to Malo.

"You came…" the boy said, as though he had doubted he would. "But…can you really use a bow? I've never seen you so much as hold a bow back in Ordon… …Whatever. First off, shoot through that…" Malo pointed to a red wooden target several feet away.

Link drew his beloved bow, retrieving an arrow from the quiver on his back that had lain beside it within the chest in the mines, lined up the shot quickly, and released, hitting the target dead on and shattering it into wood chips and slivers with the strength that his bow still held even after all these years of disuse. Truly it must be a Goddesses-Blessed weapon.

"Hmph…-" Malo grunted in reaction. "-I guess that one was a bit on the easy side… Fine… How about THAT?" the boy pointed to a target higher up on the hill close to the Inn.

Link knocked an arrow, drew the bow, took aim, and shot with the same results as the first.

"HEY!" Talo suddenly called loudly from atop the roof of the high lookout post, waving his small arms about briefly. "UP HERE! Try to hit this pole!"

Link nodded, knocking a third arrow and drawing back his bow string once more, his blue eyes determined as he lined up the shot based on where he knew the pole to be regardless of the fact that he couldn't see it from this far away, taking his time to line up the shot just right before he released finally, hitting the very top of the pole dead on, causing Talo to exclaim, "WHOOOAAA! You hit it! You hit it! Thanks, Link!"

"Oh…-" Malo said from beside Link. "-I guess you have a little bit of skill when you concentrate. Looks like you've left some battles behind you… Impressive. … …Take this." Malo handed him a piece of heart, then left to go back to the shop. Link followed him inside, going up to the counter.

"Hey, Link,-" Malo said to him. "Back so soon?"

"Yes. Have you got anything new in?"

"I do as a matter of fact. It's called the hawk-eye. I think that it will be useful to you, despite your over-the-top archery skills."

"I'll buy it, then, Malo. I trust your judgment."

"I see. I SUPPOSE I can part with it…"

Link laughed softly, tucking the Hawk-eye away in his endless-pouch after paying him with some of his hard-earned rupees, shaking his head as he moved to exit the shop.

"Thanks, Malo."

"You're welcome, Link."

* * *

><p>After Link left the shop, he headed back down the street to the Inn to check on Colin again, going up the stairs once more and entering the room quietly.<p>

Beth and Luda were giving him food and drink, but Colin didn't exactly look happy with the situation as they fussed over him.

"Come on now, Colin,-" Luda said almost chidingly. "-do you not want to eat some stew?"

"Wait, wait!-" Beth said sharply. "-Before you do, drink some of this! Yeah, it's a special drink I made! I blended water from the spirit's spring with water from the hot springs! It's yummy!"

"Uh… Okay…" Colin groaned, looking a little sick now, but apparently unwilling to protest.

Thankfully, Link heard Renado speak up from behind him then. "Beth, Luda, for the Goddesses sake, let the boy breathe. He's covered in sweat, Daughter. Let him rest for a while."

"Alright, father," Luda said respectfully, her and Beth setting the food and water down on the bedside table to leave the room.

"Is there anything that you need, Link?" Renado said as he turned to him now. "Before you leave?"

"Yes, actually.." Link said hesitantly. "I received quite a few burns in the mines. And.. I'd prefer to use the Goddesses Gift only in emergencies, so.. Would you mind awfully tending to them for me? I'd.. really appreciate it."

"Oh, dear.." Renado said as he looked Link over closer now, clearly honestly concerned for him. "Yes, of course. Strip down and lay on one of the beds across the room from Colin's so we don't disturb him too much. I'll return presently from making sure the girls have at least left the top floor and gathering medicine from the wardrobes out there."

Link nodded, watching him go before reluctantly starting to remove his belongings, weapons and clothes to set them on the floor beside the bed, laying down on the soft mattress on his belly before using a nearby thick blanket to cover himself from the waist down thoroughly.

"Link?" he heard Colin call to him quietly, turning his head on the pillow to look at him where the boy lay on his back in his own bed beneath the covers.

"Yes, Colin? What is it?"

"Are you alright? How badly are you hurt?"

"Not badly at all, little one. Just a few burns. I'll be up and on my way again tomorrow morning. That's a promise."

"Link.."

"Yes, Colin?" he asked him patiently.

"Are you really the Chosen One of the Goddesses?.."

Link winced at the traces of awe in the boy's quiet voice, but he nodded his head slowly. "Yeah, kid, They've named me Their Hero. I'm to save Their world from the darkness that's spreading over the land."

"Wow.. I'm sorry, Link.." Colin said, his voice even softer now. "That must be a heavy burden to bear.."

"Well.. My shoulders do ache," Link teased, trying to lighten things up a bit, gasping softly when he saw a single tear slip down Colin's right cheek slowly when the boy blinked quickly. "Hey, hey, Coli.. Don't cry, please. I was only teasing you. It's okay, really. I can handle it. Even if I only managed to save one person, it'd still be worth everything that I have to go through to do it. It's worth it, if it saves you and the others, but I'll be saving the whole world. How could I have refused Them? Every single person in Hyrule, and everywhere else, deserves the chance to live and be happy. If I can save them all, me, a backwoods nobody from obscure Ordon, then I have to try. I don't know why I was Chosen, Coli, but.. They need me. Everyone's counting on me to win, and, I'm not going down without a fight of epic proportions. Like in the stories of Old, remember?"

"Yes, I remember.. But, Link-"

"_Shh_..," he tried to soothe him. "It's all gonna be okay, kid. I know that I might not make it through this, but.. I'm going to try my hardest for you. Because you deserve to live and be happy. You all do."

Renado returned just then with the healing ointment to spread over Link's burns, so they both fell silent except for the occasional soft hiss of breath from Link as the shaman tended to his injuries carefully.

* * *

><p>Link sat up in the bed with a soft gasp, jolted out of his sleep by a dream, still hearing the echo of the spirit's words to him earlier in his ears as his breath escaped him in soft pants of excitement.<p>

"_You shall find The One who you seek.."_

Oh, Goddesses, the spirit had meant his future lover, not Ilia, as he had first thought.

Link groaned quietly as he climbed out of the bed, the room suddenly feeling closed in and stuffy as he pulled on his pants over his lingering erection from the dream, leaving the rest of his things where they lay on the floor nearby, just needing to get out of the building as quickly as possible.

He fled the room as quietly as he could, not noticing when Renado stirred from where he had been dozing in a chair beside Colin's bed across the room, rising to follow him down the stairs, watching him push open the doors almost desperately as he panted heavily, emerging on the long porch of the Inn, Link's hands curling around the wooden railing as he leaned against it for support, tightening around it hard enough to hurt as he sucked in the cold night air, his tension slowly lessening as he breathed in and out.

Until he felt a warm, gentle hand descend to his bare back, startled by the touch like a wild animal would have been, jumping back out of reach quickly to spin to face the threat, his sword hand grasping only air thankfully since he had left all his weapons upstairs, watching Renado lower his hand slowly back to his side, clearly sensing that Link was still on edge about something.

"Are you.. alright, Link? You seem.. distraught."

"I.. I just..," Link panted softly, his breath forming soft-looking white clouds about his face as he spoke, looking embarrassed now. "I needed to get out of there. I couldn't breathe.."

"I see. Do you suffer from claustrophobia?"

"I, um.. I don't think so.. At least.. I never have before.. Arachnophobia, yes, but not claustrophobia.. I'm also paralyzed by heights.. "

"Very well. Then.. perhaps you had a bad dream?.."

"_Prophetic dream_.." Link corrected him with a slightly shaky smile, running a hand through his sleep-disheveled blonde hair in a useless attempt to smooth it down.

"Oh? _Oh_! You mean, a dream bestowed upon you by the Goddesses?"

"_Mmm_, by the spirit actually, I think. Trying to help me understand something that it told me earlier.."

"And, did the dream help you to understand?"

"Yes. Yes, it did."

"What was it about, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Me."

"Oh? Good or bad?"

"Good.." Link said softly, his blue eyes going unfocused as he remembered a brief flash of loving sea-green eyes, looking at him, small and gentle fingers on him, wet, _wet_?, delicate hands touching his body, soft lips pressed against Link's, kissing him with a tenderness that made his heart ache painfully for more. "_Very good_…"

* * *

><p>Link rose the next morning after getting several more hours of an actually peaceful sleep, redonning the rest of his clothing, putting on his belt securely, then strapping his sword, quiver and shield back onto his shoulders in that order, pulling on his boots before crossing over to Colin's bed quietly so as not to wake him. He gazed down at the sleeping boy's face with a smile, pulling the blankets back up over him gently where they had shifted during the night, then lowering his head down to press a kiss to his small forehead tenderly, raising his head again to stare down at him with soft blue eyes, laying the palm of his left hand against his small right cheek briefly as he spoke softly.<p>

"Sleep well, little one, for you are safe here. I promise, I Vow, that I will do everything in my power to make sure that you stay that way. For always."

He cast the boy one last gentle look before he walked out of the room and down the stairs, not even noticing Talo where the boy slid back into the early morning shadows where he had stood eavesdropping on the landing beside the two wardrobes there, continuing down to exit the Inn.

He went to Epona, murmuring to her soothingly and patting her nose gently before taking her by the reins, about to mount her when he heard Renado come up behind him quietly.

"You are to be on your way, then?"

"Yes, I must. Enough time has be wasted while the Twilight continues to spread it's sickness. It must be checked."

"Then I wish you well on your journey, young Link, and pray to the Three that you shall return to us safely once more."

"Thank you, Renado," Link said with a genuine smile as he hugged the shaman briefly before getting up onto Epona's back and looking down at him. "I shall return as soon as I may."

"Of course, Hero. Be careful."

Link nodded briefly in reply, then urged Epona into a fast trot through town, past the bomb shop where he saw Barnes out of the corner of his eye watching him go through a window on the upper floor, riding past the path that led up the mountain before jumping her over the gate carefully to leave Kakariko behind him once again. He emerged back into the field where he had rescued Colin from the goblins, pulling Epona to a stop with a sigh when he heard the mail carrier call out to him.

"Mr. Link! WAAAAAAIT!-" the man ran up to him before continuing to speak. "-Greetings, Mr. Link! I have come to deliver a letter. There is a letter for you, Link. Two letters, in fact! Well, my business is concluded! Onward to mail!"

Link watched the man run away again before opening his letters. One was from Barnes, about his bombs capabilities, the other from Malo about a new item in his shop in Kakariko. Well, Malo would have to hold it for him, because he didn't have the time to go back now. He needed to get going.

He rode through the vast field, ignoring the monsters for the most part, unless they got too close, until he reached the stone bridge, urging Epona reluctantly across the wide expanse with gentle pats to her strong neck, determinedly not looking down, keeping his intense blue eyes fixed straight ahead on the ending of the bridge where it reached the other side.

When he came to the path on the other side that he needed to take, the way was blocked by a rockslide, so he dismounted from Epona to approach it, placing a bomb in front of the blockage before moving away quickly and covering his ears, making sure the way was clear after the explosion's dust and debris had settled, about to return to Epona when he saw a portal form over the bridge in the sky.

He tensed, sword hand on the hilt of his blade like a strike of lightning, ready to draw in an instant, but he need not have bothered, because, when the shadow creatures fell, they didn't charge him, but instead broke the bridge, taking a large piece of it away so that he couldn't return to Kakariko that way, then just wandering around the side of the bridge they had landed on aimlessly, obviously having no clue that they were even nearby.

He sighed, but mounted Epona again and kept going forward, guiding her over the broken rubble of the rocks as he made a mental note to deal with the creatures presence and destruction of the bridge at a later date.

He encountered two goblins on the way, one before and one after a small wooden bridge, taking them out with his bow quickly, dismounting Epona once more when he saw a curtain of Twilight just ahead, which told him that he was on the right track like the arrival of the monsters from the portal had, soothing his horse when she whinnied in distress.

"_Shh_, 'Pona, easy, girl," he crooned to her softly. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Stay safe. Find your way back to Kakariko if you can. Renado will watch over you, my pretty lady."

The horse snorted softly, nipping at his hair where it stuck out from under his hat in places with affection lightly, then shoving her strong head against him, almost knocking him off his feet with her farewell.

"_Oh_!" Link huffed, staggering on his feet slightly before regaining his balance by looping his arms around her neck in a hug. "_Epona_! Off with you now, my sassy friend. We'll see each other again soon. I promise."

He watched her turn away and run off with another snort and a playful toss of her head, inwardly entrusting the Goddesses with her continued safety. Then he turned and walked toward the Darkness.

Midna popped up out of his shadow to speak. "Ah, we're finally here. There's only one Fused Shadow left… …So this is the last of the twilight you'll see, I guess. Whether or not you accomplish your final task and survive is up to you… Eee hee! So what will you do?-" He kept walking, getting closer, and Midna came back again. "-Want me to let you into the twilight?"

"Yes," Link answered her softly, his determination clear in his intense blue eyes. "My future Mate is on the other side of that barrier, and I want you to take me to him. Please."

Midna nodded her tiny chin, slightly unnerved by the _intensity_ of his gaze as it rested on her face. "O-Of course, Link.."

She floated into the twilight and pulled him through, and he groaned loudly where he lay on the ground, convulsing briefly with pain as he became the wolf once more, panting heavily for several long minutes as he recovered from the Transformation, quicker this time then he had before since the sensations were becoming familiar to his body now.

"All right, then,-" Midna said to him from where she sat on his back once again, teasing him playfully. "-I guess I'll have to help you! But what a shame that this is the last of the twilight… I had become so fond of seeing it covering this world… Or…is it really the last you'll see? Eee hee! So, shall we get going?"

Link nodded in answer, going further down the path ahead and killing three small twilight birds when they attacked, then three more as he continued, coming upon a bag that smelled of Ilia's scent, recalling her words to him just before the attack of the goblins who had taken her away. _"But Link, can you at least promise me this? Just come home safely.."_

"You smell the girl, don't you?-"Midna spoke quietly. "-I can tell by the sour-lemon look on your face. Well, good. It's another clue, then. But this scent could be quite old… I wonder if she is still all right? Eee hee!"

Link sighed and kept running down the path, killing two more small twilight birds, followed by three more before he bothered to start sniffing for Ilia's scent, coming out of the pass into the large field in front of Hyrule Castle.

"Hey, haven't we seen this castle before?-" Midna said, giggling quietly. "-Eee hee hee! So, we finally made it back here! Well, only a little farther, so hang in there! Or so I'd like to say, but… The going's a lot harder from here on out… Eee hee hee! All right, then… Let's get started."

Link kept going forward, following the trail of Ilia's cloying perfume, his upper lip curling back to reveal his sharp canine teeth at the stench, hating the smell of it even more in this form as it was so much stronger, stopping several times to dispatch twilight monsters and large birds who attacked them along the route, crossing a long, detailed stone bridge that spanned a large river, quickly destroying the twilight monsters, plants, and the large bird that lay in wait for him on the other side, going through another path, killing the monsters, birds and plants that accosted them in that field before going up some stone steps to a wooden bridge, killing the two monsters that blocked his way and crossing it to enter the castle town through the open door there.

Once he got inside, he ignored the numerous spirits of the people around him, focusing all his concentration instead on the strong scent of Ilia's perfume, following it all over through the streets of the town until he came to a small stone courtyard by going down two sets of stairs, noting the ornate iron rails there and checking out the wooden sign at the bottom curiously, turning to the right and then the left to enter Telma's bar since that was where the scent led him.

When he used his senses again to look around, he was surprised to see Ilia sitting on a round wooden barrel watching over a strange young boy that Link didn't know, and a large woman that he assumed was Telma standing by her right shoulder.

"This boy…-" Ilia said softly, obviously very concerned for him. "-Can you save him?"

"All right, little lady,-" Telma said with her hands on her hips as she to watched the boy. "-try to settle down, okay? I just now sent for the doctor! But this is strange… A child of the Zora's… I wonder if this is at all related to the incident the soldiers were talking about in back…"

"Aw, what an emotional reunion!-" Midna teased playfully, now knowing his true feelings about Ilia. "-Yes, a girl and her wolf! Eee hee! Sorry, but you know how it goes! These folks can't see you, either… Eee hee hee!"

Link rolled his eyes at her as he stepped closer to the Zora child, somehow feeling drawn to him.

When he looked down into the boy's face, he yelped sharply in startlement, feeling as though he'd been struck by a lightning bolt as every last hair on his body stood straight up in the air.

_Nayru's Love_, this boy was his mate!

He looked him over quickly to be sure, but his heart told him that he was correct in his thoughts.

The boy was small, with a gentle face, delicate hands, and he was a fish-boy, a Zora, which explained why he had been dripping water in Link's dream, his small hands and sweet mouth wet as he had touched Link's body and kissed his lips lovingly.

And he was also pale, Link realized in horror and fear for the child's life, too thin and obviously very ill, his breathing extremely shallow as his frail-looking chest rose and fell in jerky movements.

Oh Goddesses, the boy was clearly very sick. What if he died?

_No_!, Link thought to himself with a small whimper of pure terror, barely fighting off panic as he tried to calm his own breathing unsuccessfully. He wouldn't _let_ that happen! He wouldn't lose the other half of his soul when he had just finally found him! He _had to_ save him!

"Link.." Midna said, putting a tiny hand on his left shoulder hesitantly, sensing his severe distress. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Link whimpered softly again in the back of his throat, but he couldn't speak to let her know, so he used the instincts of the wolf, nodding his furry head at the boy, shifting to brush his soft tail over the full length of the sickly child's body, covering him with his scent, making sure he was thoroughly immersed in his claim as he sniffed him all over with obvious possessiveness.

"Oh, he's yours? _Oh_! The boy is your Mate? Oh my.. Oh no.. Don't worry, Link, I'm sure he'll be okay.. Ilia will be looking after him.."

Link shook his head, a soft growl of protest escaping him at the thought with clear dislike.

"Oh, Link.." she said with real sympathy. "I'm sorry, but.. I don't think there's anything that we can do to help him right now. I mean, you can see him, touch him, but he can't see you, or feel you, in this form.. The only thing that we can do is try to get the twilight here lifted as soon as possible so that you can try to help him get better.."

Link nodded in reluctant agreement with her with another unhappy growl, leaving the boy's side with another whimper to walk to the backroom and spy on the guards for information that he hoped would help the child make it through whatever was wrong with him.

"We've had a ton of complaints from citizens who can't send prayers to the spring's spirit of Lake Hylia,-" a man that Link assumed was a captain said to three other guards. "-Go there! The location is the one I showed you on the map earlier! Got it?-" The three men shook their heads erratically, and Link could literally smell their fear. "-What? Study it and know it well!"

Well, if _they_ wouldn't go and do their jobs, then _he_ would investigate the problem.

Especially if it would help his Mate.

It was a start, having to do with the lake as it did.

Link walked over to the table that they map was spread out on, putting his front paws up onto it so that he could look it over quickly, memorizing the location in his mind firmly before reading the note that the captain had left there as well.

"_I've received orders from above to investigate why we can't go to the spirit's spring in Lake Hylia! Got that?"_

Link left the smaller room, going back out into the main one, casting one last fearful, longing look at the Zora child, licking the boy's right cheek with a quiet whimper of pain, sending him a gentle wave of healing power, as well as comfort and love with the Gift the Goddesses had bestowed upon him, relieved when he relaxed slightly where he lay unconscious, his breathing already a little better, reluctantly turning away to leave the bar, and his ill Heart-Mate behind him.

* * *

><p>Link made his way back out of the town, his mind buzzing and his heart aching with terror and pain for the boy's suffering, but he forced himself to put it out of his mind as best he could since he needed to focus and be strong for his precious Mate if he was to save his life, killing the two monsters that had replaced the ones on the bridge that he had dispatched before quickly.<p>

He headed east along a new path that he had yet to travel, dispatching three more monsters before turning left at a split in the path, noting for future reference that the right path was blocked by a rockslide, soon coming to another path split, turning left again toward a large, long stone bridge.

He was puzzled at first by what the black pools all along it's length were, but when he inhaled deeply to scent the air, he realized that it was the fluid used to light lanterns, despite the fact that it wasn't the beautiful golden color of pure, environmentally safe fuel that he was used to, did the twilight corrupt _everything_?, his blue eyes narrowed suspiciously as he proceeded to step onto the bridge cautiously, knowing that most likely someone had plans, probably Zant, to make him one charred, overcooked wolf.

He stopped when he was almost halfway across the bridge because Midna spoke.

"…Hey, do you smell anything funny?"

He nodded in answer, but he couldn't speak to tell her what it was, growling fiercely when a monster with a bow suddenly appeared on the other side of the bridge, lighting the thick, black oil on fire with a flaming arrow on both sides of them so that they couldn't escape from the flames.

"Oh no! We're trapped! Get out of here!"

Link glanced around them quickly, noting two nearby wooden boxes, pushing one up against the right side of the bridge with his shoulder, climbing up onto it, sending the monster a terrifying glare that said with crystal clarity, _"Fuck you, and your Master!,"_ before he jumped off over the edge of the bridge.

The wolf howled with the joy of freefall as they wind rushed past them, ruffling his thick fur, and Link let him have full rein of the emotions until they landed, allowing him to block out his fear of heights, relieved when they finally came to rest in a small pool of water.

"Phew…-" Midna said to him as Link's four paws treaded water to keep them afloat. "-That was a close one. We're lucky there was a puddle down below, huh? So this is Lake Hylia… But there's so little water… It sounds like the spirit's spring should be somewhere around here as well… Anyway, let's take a look around…"

Link swam to land, climbing out of the pool and shaking the water out of his thick pelt as much as he could, growling softly in displeasure at the dampness that still clung to him. Then he noticed three spirits beside the water, using his senses and discovering that they were Zora warriors, or guards, or maybe both.

He listened to the one closest to the water first, observing them talking to each other worriedly.

"The drop in water has been faster then predicted… At this rate, Lake Hylia will dry up. It's a race against time…"

Then he listened to the two that stood on slightly higher ground then the other did, knowing from the fact that their scent was all over each other's bodies that these three were Mated together.

"We've had absolutely no water flowing from upstream…"

"There's no mistaking it. Something must have happened at the water's source in our home, Zora's Domain. Yet how are we to return upstream to our home? With the way things are now, we can't even walk back there…"

Link pondered the Zora's words as he dug up green rupees and hearts from around the two, then he headed toward a strange looking building in the distance, as it was the only thing that he could see around, digging up many rupees and smashing the pots on the porch to get more, before listening to the spirit of the slightly strangely dressed man who stood there with his hands in the pockets of his pants.

"Hurrrm… I'm too old for this… Fyer and Falbi's water top Land of Fantastication… It's our grand reopening at our new lake-bottom location… Whee.-" The man looked up then, glancing out over Link's head, though he didn't know it. "-Hurrrm… Yeah, nice lake… Don't lakes have more… I don't know… water? Did the Zora's who live upriver do something? Or is it a curse from that spirit that floats around up there? Whatever. It's not like I can go up and complain… That's way too high. What's that? A customer? YIKES! It's a MONSTER! Stay away… Stay away…"

The man shivered violently, covering his face as he cowered in fear.

Link turned away from him, trotting quickly along the mostly dried up lakebed to confront the monster.

Unfortunately, the monster used a nearby blade of grass when it saw them approach to call down a bird, hopping up onto the beast's back between it's wings, so he had to knock the monster off of the bird's back while avoiding the flaming arrows that it shot at them with it's bow, but he eventually managed it when the monster twice made the mistake of flying too low near the ground, allowing Link to shake him off his mount by fastening his jaws in the bird's throat and shaking it around by the neck harshly, ending the monster's life quickly when it fell off to the ground.

Then Midna flew off his back quickly and onto the back of the bird before it could escape, growling at the creature aggressively when it balked and tried to buck her off with a loud honk of protest.

"Hey! Stop it!-" Midna scolded the bird sharply. "-"I'm your new master now! Settle down! Hey! Why don't we use this guy to get us all the way to the lake's water source?"

Midna swooped down, ordering the bird to take hold of Link in its talons, carrying him safely through a long ravine of stone, avoiding the monsters that shot arrows at them and the falling rocks and stone pillars that the monsters caused with explosions to try to stop them from getting through easily, bringing them safely out the other side before releasing the bird and taking up her usual place on his back.

"Ah… We're already here?-" she said incredulously. "-That bird turned out to be more useful than I expected. Well, then… Where's the village of the Zora's? Let's look for it. It's getting cold… Hurry up!"

Link nodded, walking down the hill that they had landed on, finding the spirit of a woman with absolutely terrifying hair setting at the bottom of a set of wooden steps, listening to her talk to herself as she shook her head with obvious anxiety.

"I mean, what are those Zora's up to, anyway? The river's run totally dry, right? I can't work like this… Ugh… C-Cold! Ahh… I miss my fur coat…"

Link shook his head at her, confused as to why everyone seemed to think that the Zora's were responsible for the water problem, when they were clearly suffering just as much as everyone, if not more because they _really_ needed the water, climbing up to the top of the steps to look around, deciding to jump down from there into the bone-dry riverbed and see where it led them, shocked and concerned when he soon encountered snow and jagged pillars of ice, occasionally yelping involuntarily as his paws slipped and scrabbled on the surface of the frozen water.

He soon found Zora's Domain, alarmed when he saw that the waterfall just ahead was frozen solid.

"Oh… Hey…-" Midna commented in confusion. "-What's going on here? I thought it was getting colder… but who would have thought that it would all be frozen? This is the Zora village, right? Why don't I see any, then… Well… Anyway, let's check things out. Let's find the Zora's…"

Link nodded in agreement, padding forward over the snow-covered ice carefully, killing two bats in front of a tall, oddly shaped formation of stone, then two more when he climbed up a small, snowy hill, climbing up a slight incline before barking for Midna's help, grateful when she assisted him with traversing the treacherous climb to the place where the frozen waterfall originated.

"I think we can get up from here… Let's go…" she said with a giggle.

Three times before they reached the top, Link was almost hit by deadly, falling spears of ice, but they made it, finally reaching the top where Link dispatched a pair of bats back to the twilight before continuing forward with a growing sense of dread that made his heart feel heavy like a stone.

He found quickly that three twilight monsters had invaded the inner most chamber of Zora's Domain, letting them feel the pain of his rage at their invasion with tooth and claw, snapping at them with his strong jaws and clawing their thick hides with his paws cruelly as he Championed the home of his Mate's people, Link's people now, too.

The dark creatures fell at his feet quickly after tasting the fierce assault of his righteous wrath, freeing up another portal for them to use.

"A portal has opened here, too!-" Midna said excitedly. "-We can finally warp. If you want to breathe the air of the world of light for a moment, let me know. I'll take you there!"

Link shook his head no for now, looking around anxiously for the Zora's, listening to Midna as she spoke up again quickly with a soft gasp of alarm, whacking his shoulders with her small hands lightly to get his attention.

"Whoa! Hey! Down! Look below the ice!-" Link used his senses, his entire body stiffening with tension at the horror that he felt as he looked down through the ice, seeing all the Zora's that were here frozen into immobility beneath the thick surface of the frozen water.

"-Those… Those are the Zora's! Wow… This is really strange… What in the world happened? Hey… What do you want to do? We can't just leave them like this… I think all we need to do is thaw them out… It does us no good to just stand here thinking… Let's leave and come back later. The portal should work for us. We need to find a way to melt the ice and then come back here…-"

Link turned his head to look back at her now. "-Huh? What is it?-" He barked softly to let her know that he wanted to warp, so she pulled out their map so that he could tell her where he wanted to go, and he pointed to Death Mountain on the parchment with his muzzle.

"-Want to travel to Death Mountain?-" Link nodded his furry head again in agreement with another soft bark.

"-_Oh_! _Of course_! The flaming pillar of rock will free them! Good thinking, Hero," she teased playfully before warping them away to the mountain of the gorons, floating up to the top of the huge fiery rock when he approached it carefully.

"This thing has been here for a while now, but it's still pretty hot…"

He barked in agreement, whining anxiously in the back of his throat as he padded around the warm rock in a circle, and she quickly took them both, and the steaming rock back to Zora's Domain with a loud grunt as she used her powers to lift it's sufficient bulk, sending it crashing down to strike the ice, cracking and melting it and freeing the Zora's, also allowing the waterfall to flow strongly once more, setting them down safely on one of the ledges away from the water.

"Who knew that something so dangerous would come in handy…-" Midna said with a smile. "-All right… The Zora's are safe now, so let's go. The ice melted and restored the water flow to normal. Can we finally meet the spirit of Lake Hylia?"

Link ran around the room, checking on each and every Zora, sniffling them almost frantically to be sure that they were all okay, his wolf's instincts at the fore as he did what he could to care for his family, his pack, unintentionally mingling his scent with theirs and the scent of their own Mates as he rubbed his thick fur over them, trying to help warm their bodies a little despite the fact that they couldn't see him, and would probably fear him if they could do so.

Then he sighed in relief as they all seemed to be alright, though still clearly cold as they shivered, shook and coughed, turning away to leave them all reluctantly, but he was stopped once more when a soft voice called out to him in entreaty.

"Wait!-" He turned back to face the one who spoke, gasping softly as he saw a beautiful Zora woman appear hovering high in the air over the others, her piercing sea-green eyes, _his Mate's eyes_, gentle with emotion as she stared down at Link.

"-Please, you must allow me to thank you for revitalizing both my people and this spring, which is the water source for all the lands of Hyrule. In life, I was the elder of this Zora village and the queen of my people. I was called Rutela."

Link walked closer to her, very displeased when Midna yawned and stretched on his back, saying impertinently, as well as untruthfully, "Not to be rude, but we didn't exactly do it for you guys…"

"The dark ones… They raided this village and, as a message to my people, executed me before them,-" Rutela said, seeming to sense that Midna was being untruthful as she continued to speak without commenting on her statement. "-Young man… You who take the form of a proud beast… I have something to ask of you. When the dark ones descended upon our village, I sent my young one, Ralis, to Hyrule Castle to inform Princess Zelda of our fate. But… I fear danger followed him from this doomed place. I feel it. His presence grows fainter to me over time… But my time in this world has passed, and though I would give it gladly, I no longer have a life to risk in his rescue. Please… Would you save my dearest, Prince Ralis? If you do this thing, I will bestow upon you the protection of water. This power will grant you the ability to swim and respire in very deep water as if you were a Zora. Please… Save my son…"

Midna opened her mouth to speak, probably to reveal to the Zora queen Link's feelings for her son, but Link shook his head at her quickly, wanting to speak of them with the woman himself when he was able to do so once more, nodding to Rutela respectfully, letting her know that he would do as she requested, watching her smile down at him gratefully before she vanished.

"Hmm…-" Midna said quietly. "-So, if we help her, she'll grant you the power to swim in deep water like a Zora, huh? So… What do you say, Hero? But, of course, we were already going to save him, anyway, because he's your Mate. …Oh, but now that I think about it, I don't suppose you should meet the prince as a wolf, huh? Eee hee! Might not make the kind of first impression that I bet you want to, even if he could see you. So… No hurry to return you to the world of light, then, huh? And why did you stop me from telling her that you love her son? I suppose you wish to inform her yourself?-" Link nodded in answer. "-Oh well… I _suppose_ it _is_ the proper thing to do. Letting the parents know of your intentions to Court their child.. Shall we go meet the spirit?"

Link nodded again, turning to exit Zora's Domain, seeing that the waterfall was flowing swift and sure once more, having quickly filled up the deep pool below to overflowing while he had been inside with the Zora's and Rutela.

"Looks like the shock of that impact not only raised the water level, but sped up the flow, too,-" Midna commented to Link where they stood in the middle of the swiftly flowing stream.

"-This water should flow all the way down to the lake. Why don't you let it take you there?"

Link sighed in annoyance at the thought of being soaked once again, since it took his fur so damn _long_ to dry out, but he nodded, jumping forward into the strong current since he seemed to have no other option, being quickly carried away by the flash flood of water, Midna using her power to hold tightly onto his back in the rough, swiftly flowing stream.

* * *

><p>Link woke up in front of the spirit's spring, feeling groggy and a little dizzy as he stood up on his shaking, water-logged paws, hearing Midna speaking as he shook the water from his ears and fur as best he could with a full body shudder.<p>

"Ugh… Aren't you awake yet?-" she teased Link where she stood, hovering above him on the steps. "-Look! We got washed all the way down to Lake Hylia, just as I predicted… And it looks like we're right in front of the spirit's spring, to boot. Talk about lucky… Well, let's go! Snap out of it and get to the spirit!"

She hopped back onto his back, a little rougher then necessary in his opinion as he was sore from the water ride down here, growling a little in a soft reprimand, relaxing a bit when her tiny left hand patted him between the ears gently in wordless apology, and he sighed before ascending the two blue steps to enter the spring of the Lake Spirit.

He approached the spirit respectfully, bowing his head in greeting.

"I am… the last of the spirits of light… consumed… by twilight…-" it spoke to them softly. "-Hero… Chosen One of the gods… You have…done well to make it this far… Gather… my scattered Tears of Light… that were stolen by shadow… Gather them… in this…-" The spirit gave him a third Vessel of Light, placing it within his endless-pouch for them before continuing to speak.

"-I am sure… you know by now… the forms… that these dark insects take… when they steal… our light… In this shadow realm… of twilight… the insects… are invisible… like the humans… of this world… collect… my light… Lift the final cloud of twilight… that threatens to cover… all of Hyrule…"

Link nodded and turned away, leaving the spring to go hunting for evil. He saw the electric-pink spark of the first insect the second they left the cave, tracking it up a long wooden ramp that led to a small area of land, killing it quickly and collecting the spirit's tear before continuing down another wooden ramp to get to the next, bigger island, gasping in surprise when a barrier suddenly sprung up and three twilight monsters descended from the red portal that formed in the sky, but he ended them with ease and kept searching for insects, finding the next one by following a small trail of islands that led to a larger one, digging it up and killing it quickly, taking the tear back, finding buried hearts and green rupees before backtracking to the second island, heading across a wooden bridge that led them toward that strange building from earlier that had rested on the dry lakebed before they had saved the Zora's and raised the water level to refill Lake Hylia.

Now, it floated on the surface of the water. He went past the strangely dressed with the large belly, who was talking to himself again.

"Customers… won't come.. even though… the water's back… Maybe no one knows… Perhaps I should go… tell folks… around town… … So… tired…"

Link blinked, wondering why he was so tired and down emotionally, going around the back of his odd building and killing the next insect, collecting the tear before checking the map, discovering that there was only one left in this area of the lake, heading back in the direction of the spirit's spring quickly.

When he got there, he jumped into the water again reluctantly, swimming across to a small island where the spirit of a single, UnMated Zora male stood, listening to him curiously.

"What's that over there?"

Link headed in the direction that he was looking, across three more tiny islands, reaching another large spot of land where there was a wood platform and an odd wooden structure on the far side, finding and killing the insect, collecting the tear before digging up what health and money he could find on the island, calling for the large twilight bird with a nearby blade of grass, howling the melody since he couldn't blow on the blade to do it.

The creature came at his haunting call, and Midna hopped onto it's back, ordering it to swoop down and pick up Link in it's talons once more, carrying them into the ravine again.

Midna directed the twilight bird to kill the four insects they encountered, collecting the tears, guiding it through the chasm while avoiding the arrows of the monsters, efficiently landing them both safely on the other side.

Link headed down the hill back to the woman with the strange hair, who was freaking out about one of the insects.

"What's… that? A bug? Eww, nasty! Why's it so big? Golly, I am so sick of roughing it in the boonies!-"

Link killed the insect and collected the tear easily.

"-Huh… It's gone? That was nasty… I hope it doesen't come back… … Ah, well. Golly, work is tanking just as hard as my personal life these days…"

Link smashed three small wooden crates, collecting a single green rupee before crossing the bridge behind the woman to reach territory yet unexplored, Midna checking the map for insects, seeing that there weren't anymore in this sector before having her put it away so that he could climb a tall hill that overlooked the whole area, finding another singing stone at the very top of the ledge.

He sat down beside it and howled, repeating the song with the golden wolf when he appeared, feeling peace fill his heart, quieting his anxiousness for Ralis's life, giving him some relief from the intense pain of it, grateful for his thoughtful consideration.

"Let teachings of old pass to you…-" the shining wolf panted to him across the vast expanse of the worlds between them. "-Take sword in hand and find me…"

Link woke up beside the stone, seeing a patch of grass to his right, but he didn't call the bird, not needing it anymore now, jumping down to land below, going to investigate a pair of spirits that were standing on a bridge of land that spanned the loud river below.

"Do you think Prince Ralis passed through here?" one of the Zora warriors asked his Mate.

"He must have. This is the only waterway that connects to Hyrule Castle. Come. Let's follow this path in search of him."

The pair jumped into the water, swimming away together gracefully down a stone tunnel lined with lit torches to search for their Prince, though Link knew that they wouldn't be able to find him where he was now, praying silently to the Three Goddesses to keep them safe until they returned home.

Link turned away from the direction they had taken reluctantly, going to the right in the direction of Zora's Domain, coming out on the other side to find another pair of Zora's standing near the water, both of them male.

"Prince Ralis is so young…-" one said worriedly. "-To think the queen… ugh…"

"If we fracture our troop strength with too many Mated Pairs searching for the Prince, our guard here will be too thin… Hmm…" the second Zora said in obvious concern, addressing his Mate behind him, though he didn't turn to face the other male.

Link kept walking, soon coming upon another Mated Pair near the waterfalls, and this time they were a male and a female Zora.

"Attacks by the shadow beasts… Volcanic boulders in the throne room… What in the world is going on?" the female said shrilly, her expression clearly alarmed as she looked to her Mate for reassurance.

"Not… Not our Prince, too!-" he lamented softly, shaking his head in obvious fear. "-No… It's better not to even think such unlucky thoughts…"

Link kept going forward, finding a second single, UnMated male Zora standing in front of a path that was impassable because it was frozen over with solid ice, wondering why the flood hadn't melted it away like it had the rest, listening to him speak to himself in confusion about the ice barrier as well.

"It appears that the cave to Snowpeak is still frozen over… I suppose we'll have to wait a bit longer."

Link swam out into the water, finding a large group of lily pads, as well as two insects, dispatching them and taking the tears before swimming through the middle of two different sized rocks, recognizing them as the oddly shaped rock formation from when the pool had been empty of water, shaking himself to shed moisture when he reached a small island of land, going up a hill to dig up and then kill the insect who was there for the tear, collecting what rupees he could there, finding a chest containing a yellow rupee before jumping back down into the water from there to return to where the Mateless male Zora was by the ice blocked path, Midna helping him up to the next level.

"Hey!-" she said excitedly. "-We can climb up from here!"

Link continued ever upward with her help, taking the middle left way when he came to a place where the path branched off into three, then he turned right when it became two paths, finding a red rupee in a chest before returning to the left path, taking it now, jumping across many gaps before killing the insect he found on the other side, finding a blocked tunnel that branched off upward, knowing it would have led him right up to Zora's Domain if it had been accessible.

Instead, he back tracked the way he had come, inwardly cursing when he fell, but he didn't fall far, so he just made his way back up to that dividing point, taking the right path this time, where before he had gone down and to the left, jumping on ledges to get the rest of the way up to the top, collecting green rupees there before finally entering the throne room again.

Inside, he found the rest of the Zora's still recovering, listening to a single, Mateless warrior that was treading water at the edge of the pool.

"Well, the water is at least flowing again, but it's a little vigorous… We still need to check to see if the places that take their water from here have been affected…"

Link climbed out of the water, shaking a little to shed some of the dampness before going up the three steps that led to what was now Ralis's throne, listening to the male Zora that stood there looking at it sadly, tears slipping slowly down his face, his voice low and soft as he spoke. "Sniff… My queen…"

Link scented the air around the male curiously, feeling compassionate towards him as his heart softened slightly, surprised when he smelled the scent of the queen on his body, though it was fading, realizing that this male must have been her Consort before her murder, though he was not the Sire of the young Prince, as they didn't smell like blood family, though they were family, as he recognized the male's scent as having been on Ralis's body before Link had masked it with his own strong claim so that it would eventually fade if it wasn't renewed, smelling his Mate's fading scent on the male as well.

Link nudged his shoulder against the man to comfort him, shocked when he seemed to feel something, but not to the extent that Ralis had seemed to acknowledge his Goddess Given reassurance, though it was obvious that he didn't know what, his tense muscles relaxing as Link sent him a small wave of comforting Goddess Power, watching the Zora sink down beside the wide base of the throne, laying his head against it and closing his eyes as he sighed quietly, drifting off into a restful sleep in response where he sat.

Link moved his spear out of the way so that he wouldn't hurt himself on it if he moved in his sleep, licking his right cheek gently before turning away to find the insect that he knew was here, knocking it loose from the wall it clung to before killing it and taking back the spirit's tear, having Midna check the map for where the next one was hidden, surprised to see that it was in Castle Town, so he left the throne room to head back to the place where the pair of Mated Zora warriors had left to try to search for Ralis.

Once he got there, he saw an UnMated female Zora standing there, staring down the stone waterway in the direction of Castle Town, her fact obviously worried as she spoke softly.

"It would be nice if the Mated Pairs that are out searching for the Prince would make it back safely…"

Link leapt into the waterway with a fierce, determined expression on his furry face, letting it carry them all the way to Hyrule field, where he made his way out of the water by climbing up some steps nearby, shaking the water from his pelt before crossing the bridge after killing the two monsters that guarded it, as well as two birds, heading for Castle Town quickly, then he realized he had gotten turned around somehow, Midna checking the map before he headed back the other way, feeling a bit nettled with irritation, so, when he finally made it to the bridge just outside of Castle Town, and three twilight creatures dropped from a red portal that formed in the sky, he may have been a bit crueler then was necessary in the way that he dispatched them back to their Dark Master quickly before crossing the bridge and entering the town.

Midna checked the map again, and Link was surprised, but grateful, when she directed him toward the bar.

He went inside to check on Ralis, and Midna didn't try to stop him, knowing that he needed to reassure himself that his Mate was still doing okay, if not well.

"This boy is still so young, so innocent… To see him suffering like this…" Ilia said anxiously as she watched the Prince labor for every breath he took as he slept fitfully.

"He'll be alright, little lady,-" Telma said reassuringly. "-Someone's already gone for the doctor. I'll tell you, though, from what those soldiers in back were talking about… to everything else… There sure has been a rash of trouble lately…"

Link sniffed his Mate all over, a soft whimper escaping his throat as he brushed his tail along his small, delicate body again gently, renewing the scent of his claim on the boy, licking his left cheek before he sent another soothing wave of love and comfort into his body, causing Ralis to relax slightly where he lay as his breathing improved once again, tearing himself away from Ralis's side with another whimper of distress, knowing that he needed to finish his task soon if he was to save his Mate's life.

He left the bar to find the next insect, taking his fury at Ralis's poor condition out on it, taking it's life and collecting the stolen tear, confused when he saw that he was missing one tear.

"Hey! What's going on?-" Midna said, her small face frustrated as she pulled out their map again to look it over for the last tear.

"-There should be one more… Where could the last tear be?-"

They looked together, Link finding it out in the middle of Lake Hylia.

"-What? There it is… What's going on? This is weird…"

Link nodded in agreement, barking for Midna to warp them to Lake Hylia quickly.

The last insect was absolutely _huge_, but it still didn't stand a chance in Hyrule, because Link was spitting mad because of his Mate's undeserved suffering, attacking the creature with a viciousness that surprised even him, seeing the obvious shock, but also pride, on Midna's face at how quickly he took it's life and retrieved the tear, treading water briefly before the pair of them were transported to the spirit's spring now.

"The vessel of light is full of tears, and light has returned to his area!" the spirit called out to them joyfully.

Midna hopped off of Link's back, standing in front of him with her hands on her small, slightly cocked hips and an impish grin on her face as she looked at him.

"You make sure to get that last Fused Shadow, now! Eee hee! See you later!" she giggled, hopping away to disappear back within Link's shadow now that he was human once more.

"My name is Lanayru,-" the light spirit said as it appeared to him in the form of a great, brightly shining serpent, lowering it's large head to look directly at him.

"-Your efforts have at last restored each of us light spirits in Hyrule. O hero chosen by the gods… The dark power that you seek… It waits in a temple set in the bed of Lake Hylia. …But before seeking it, you must now bear witness to something… and never forget it. You must know that it was the will of the Goddesses that we lock away the forbidden power…-"

Link blinked at the spirit's words, and when he opened his eyes, he found himself in a twisted, terrifying Dreamscape, listening to the spirit speaking as a horrible nightmare played out before his eyes.

When he woke from the dream, vision, whatever it was that the spirit had given him, he gasped, falling to his knees and feeling faint as his heart pounded in his chest, beating fast with fear as it pumped blood throughout his suddenly weak limbs, shaking badly as he curled up into a tight ball while his stomach heaved, unable to prevent himself from becoming physically ill suddenly, violently, feeling a little dizzy as he sat up slowly and carefully to rock back onto his knees, averting his eyes from the large puddle of sick, focusing instead on the spirit as it finished speaking to him in a gentle, caring voice.

"-The dark power that you seek is within the sleeping Lakebed Temple in Lake Hylia…"


	13. Chapter 13 The Warning

**Thank You for your reviews! :**

**Writer-Girl-19 - Yeah, I can't wait for all of that, too! Yes, I want him to seem human, because he is. He has emotions, needs, and feelings, just like everyone else, and he needs people to acknowledge that, which they don't always do because of his status as the Hero. :( Guess what?.. You don't have to be patient anymore! :) Enjoy the chapter! :)**

**darkyami1214 - Thank you! :) I'm glad you like it so much! I do, too! :) I sort of used your idea in this chapter, though I had already been planning something similar to that before your review, but still, thanks for the idea! :) Anyway, I hope that you enjoy the chapter! :)**

**l'Arbre - I'm glad you like it so much! :) Enjoy! :)**

**() - Thank you! I'm glad you like it! :) Enjoy! :)  
><strong>

**Chapter 13 The Warning **or **Saving Ralis **or **Heart To Heart With Rutela **or **Peter The Goron's Tale**

Link forced himself to his feet, shaking still from the vision, ignoring the compassionate face of the spirit as he exited the spring quickly, stumbling down the steps to land on his knees in the ankle-high water at the bottom of them, scooping some of the cool, clear liquid into his cupped palms, rinsing his mouth of the smell of sickness and fear thoroughly, sensing Midna pop up beside him while he did so.

"What in the worlds was that about?.." she asked him in confusion, referring to the horrible vision that he had obviously been given.

"I think.. that it was a warning," Link explained quietly, washing the sweat from his face and neck now. "A warning that I shouldn't let anger guide my thoughts as it has been lately, or I will fall under the power of the Fused Shadows and fail as the Hero.."

"Are you worried about that, Link?.." Midna asked in obvious concern, her big eye going wide at the thought.

"No," he replied certainly, seeming very confident in that statement as he stood and walked back up the steps with her hovering along at his side to stay within his shadow. "So I get angry sometimes, who doesen't? I'm just as human as everyone else in Hyrule. But, I am, for the most part, a good man, full of kindness and compassion toward others. It is who I am, and I know that the darkness of hate cannot touch the heart of a man, or woman, when it is full of love to overflowing. Now, let's go, 'Dina. We've got a Prince to save."

"Of course, Link."

* * *

><p>Link made his way to the left up the long wooden ramp, Midna slipping back into his shadow as he walked, crossing the two islands and their wood bridges, past a strange pink bird with a blue and green beak named Plumm, who, apparently, did not need to speak to humans, seeing a Zora warrior to the right of him, gazing down into the deep water of the lake while leaning on his spear.<p>

"I am a member of the Zora tribe,-" he said in introduction when he turned to face Link after sensing his presence behind him. "-the proud people who care for Lake Hylia. The other Zora's are all on guard patrol at the bottom of the lake."

"I'm Link," he said, holding out his hand to the other male, pleased when he nodded and shook it briefly before letting go.

"Zatula. I'm sorry, did you say that your name was Link, like the Hero of Old?"

"Yes, I did."

"Your appearance is similar to his," Zatula said, looking him over curiously. "And you wear his clothing as well. Are you Destined to save us all from the spread of the Twilight?"

"I am, yes. The Goddesses have entrusted me with this mission, and I intend to see it through, but for now, I direct my feet toward Castle Town where your Prince lies ill as we speak. I shall save him and send him home to his people as swiftly as I may."

"_Truly_?" Zatula gasped softly at his words. "Oh, this is wonderful news! I shall tell the others immediately of what you have told me. Please, do hasten to our Prince's side, Hero!"

"Please, it's Link. To your people, I wish to be only Link."

Zatula nodded, watching him cross over the floating bridge to reach the floating contraption that belonged to Fyer, speaking to the oddly-dressed man.

"Hurrrm? Some of the Zora's are still alive down under there? I thought maybe they had dried up along with the lake… Hey, buddy, have you heard? There's like a temple or something at the bottom of this lake. They put on such airs with all their rituals and fancy temple hoo-ha… Then they just disappear… And what's with putting that temple so deep that humans can't swim there? I swear, those Zoras… Oh… Are you a customer? Heh heh! You are ONE lucky fella, fella! The HEIGHT of excitement, the THRILL of launching to the heavens, the very PEAK of flying fantastication… It can be YOURS, fella! For a limited time only, and without waiting in line, it's a paltry TEN RUPEES! Whaddaya say, buddy of mine? Wanna give it a shot?"

Link nodded his head silently, rolling his eyes inwardly at the man's odd behavior, but, truthfully, the man's dramatic antics amused him, so he let it be without saying anything.

"Welcome, fella! And right this way! I'll send you on up to my partner Falbi's place."

Link went into the strange building after paying the man, forcing himself to stay calm as it started to shake and move around violently, closing his eyes tightly as it launched him into the air, relieved, and more then a little dizzy, when he landed safely in a fenced-in area with a strange orangeish-red design on it's smooth surface.

Once Link got his bearings, he went through a small doorway, climbed down a multi-colored ladder to a platform that was covered in clucking chickens for some unknown reason, seeing a man that he assumed was Falbi in the distance, but he didn't stop to chat with him, knowing that time was of the greatest importance, walking up a steep wooden incline and exiting a door there, then going up two flights of wooden steps and along a dirt path, emerging back in Hyrule Field to the left of the bridge that he had jumped from before to escape the fire.

It was night, and dark, but he couldn't linger, so he quickly found a patch of grass near a split in the path, plucking it, lifting the blade to his lips and calling out to Epona. When she came running up to him with a happy whinny in greeting, he mounted her, rubbing her strong neck soothingly before heading toward Castle Town as fast as he could travel without harming her, taking the right path that emerged into the field in front of Castle Town, preceding on foot from there after sending Epona away so that the goblins wouldn't try to take her away from him again.

"Wait for my call, my pretty one," he said to her softly, pressing his forehead to hers and staring deep into her large, loving eyes. "I have a feeling that I shall need you again soon.."

Epona snorted quietly, blowing Link's hair about his face gently, whapping his shoulders with her tail affectionately before she galloped off back the way they had come.

Link killed a goblin and a plant when they attacked him, then, he saw the shining wolf to the left of the entrance to Castle Town, climbing up some vines quickly to meet him at the top of the ledge he sat on waiting for him patiently, falling unconsciousness, waking in the misty place and seeing the undead warrior appear in front of Hyrule Castle.

"We meet again.-" he said, breathing heavily as usual. "-It appears your efforts have began to return some vigor to Hyrule, but it is far too early to relax. Do you feel ready to earn another hidden skill to steel yourself for the coming battles against more powerful foes?"

"I do."

"Very well… But before we begin, I must test you to ensure you have mastered the last skill I taught you, the shield attack. Now then, come at me!"

Link drew his blade and took position, knocking the warrior back with his shield, striking him while he was stunned quickly.

"Excellent. It appears you are certainty capable of performing my lost art. Very well. My third hidden skill is… The Back Slice! Let it be hewn into your mind!-" They took up training positions again as the warrior continued to speak.

"-A mere shield attack is no match for an enemy protected not just by a shield, but by a thick, full-body coat of armor. Such enemies are often focused on guarding against frequent frontal attacks. They often leave their rear unprotected. That is when you jump to either side and roll around your foe, then perform a jumping slice.-"

The man demonstrated what he had just described, though he never actually touched Link at all.

"This is the Back Slice! Now, try it!-"

Link nodded, performing the move quickly, almost effortlessly, knocking the warrior off his feet, watching him push himself back to his feet before continuing to speak.

"-Hmm… You carry yourself well. But do not forget the proper timing for swinging your sword while you jump. The third hidden skill, the Back Slice, has been passed on!-"

Link preformed the move again before putting away his blade with an elegant flourish.

"-There are still four hidden skills for you to learn. Do not neglect your daily sword training between now and the time you come to learn the next skill! May we meet again."

The warrior vanished into the mist, and Link woke to find himself back on the stone platform alone, pushing himself to his feet before climbing back down to the ground and heading for Castle Town quickly.

* * *

><p>Link started up the steps and across the shadowy bridge, a soft sigh escaping him when he was stopped by the mailman.<p>

"Mr. Link! WAAAAAAIT!-" the man ran up to him at a fast pace before speaking more. "-Greetings, Mr. Link! I have come to deliver a letter. There is a letter for you, Link. Two letters, in fact!-" He handed the envelopes over to Link finally. "Well, my business is concluded! Onward to mail!"

Then he ran off back into Castle Town, and Link opened his letters quickly, his blue eyes scanning the pages briefly.

One was from Barnes, informing Link that he now had bombs available that would work underwater, and there was nothing personal in the letter at all that even hinted at the subject of the tension between them, for which Link was grateful, wanting to just put the argument behind him and forget about it, and the other was junk mail.

He put them both away in his endless pouch with the others and hurried into town, growing more anxious for Ralis by the second.

He headed straight for the bar, out of breath by the time he got there, but he didn't stop to rest even for just a moment, opening the door and hurrying inside, looking around for the Prince while trying to conceal his nerves.

"That is a Zora child!-" Link heard a voice snap in obvious irritation. "-This is beyond my expertise! Hmmmph!"

The Doctor shoved past him rudely, turning away from Link's searching, pleading look into his eyes behind the large lenses of his glasses with an angry grunt, slamming the door as he left.

"Doctor, wait!-" Ilia cried out, running after him, but stopping at the closed door. "-If something isn't done, this child will…"

Ilia turned away with a defeated sigh, but not before looking straight at Link, shocking him when she said nothing to him, no greeting, or even undeserved chastisement, just returned to her seat and started to sob into her hands.

"Well, this isn't good.-" Telma stated. "-A human doctor won't do, huh… That old coot reminded me, though… I've heard of a Shaman in Kakariko village, in the Eldin lands, who's tended Gorons and Zoras."

Ilia lifted her head again at that, gasping softly, standing again quickly to go to Telma's side, asking her, "Is that true? Perhaps if we take him there…"

"Inadvisable! Too dangerous!-" the Captain of the guards spoke now. "-But we can't turn a blind eye to a pretty girl in need, either. Yes, we'd better escort you! Am I right, boys?" All the guards cheered loudly, waving their spears and arms about foolishly, showing off for Ilia like preening male peacocks in mating season before a pretty hen.

"Well, isn't that nice?-" Telma said to Ilia. "-To reach Kakariko, we've got to cross two plains that are each infested by dangerous beasts. But we'll be safe now!" They looked back to see that all the guards had vanished, having snuck past Link while they were distracted, watching the last one flee when he realized that his brothers-in-arms had deserted him in their fear.

"Cowards!-" Telma yelled in clear outrage. "-Don't EVER show your faces here again! Oh my! Looks like we've got one young swordsman left! And not only that, but it looks like this brave young man will escort us, so get ready to go, honey, Pronto!"

Ilia nodded, running off into the backroom quickly with a smile.

Telma walked closer to him then, speaking softly to maintain privacy.

"You know that girl, don't you? It's a real shame… She can't even remember her own name right now. Bless her heart… She found this poor boy collapsed in the road, so she did all she could to save him. More courage in that girl than in all the soldiers of Hyrule, for sure! Are you her husband?"

Link shook his head quickly, his blue eyes flying to where Ralis lay behind her, then looked back to Telma, startled to see that she had been watching his reaction to her question closely.

He would have to watch himself around this woman, at least until he was sure that he could trust her.

She was definitely more observant than Ilia.

"No, I am not Ilia's husband."

"I see. Well, you lend your strength to her regardless, you hear me?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'll ready the horse and wagon with Ilia where it's sitting unused by the gate. You can bring the boy out and lay him down nice and comfy in the back, alright?"

"I will. I also have a horse. I can follow you on her, keep you safe. The bridge to the east has been destroyed. We'll have to take the bridge to the West."

"Sounds like a plan. By the way, I didn't catch your name, swordsman."

"It's Link."

She nodded and left her bar, taking Ilia with her to ready the horse and wagon so that they could leave.

Link forgot everything else as he walked to Ralis's side quickly, kneeling on the stone floor near to where he lay, reaching out to take his fragile-looking left hand in both of his, pressing his lips against his cold fingertips and feeling the boy shiver at the heat of his lips despite his unconsciousness, sending him a gentle wave of healing and love from the Goddesses Power, relieved when he started to breathe easier as he relaxed in response.

Link stood up, releasing his hand reluctantly while he found a thick, warm blanket nearby, lifting Ralis up into his arms to wrap his shaking body within it's warm folds with careful-tenderness, making sure he was covered from hairless head to webbed toes, sitting down for a moment while he waited for Telma to return and inform him that the wagon was ready, cradling the precious bundle on his lap securely, vaguely noticing that he wore an unusual pink-spined earring with a big green jewel in the center of a spiral of smaller gems of the same color, only lighter, guessing that it was made of coral of some kind, sighing softly as he laid his forehead against Ralis's and closed his eyes, just breathing in sync with the Zora's Prince as he held him close in his arms for the first time, slowly inhaling his surprisingly attractive fish-like scent, silently praying to the Goddesses that it wouldn't be the last.

Nayru, Goddess of Love, please.. Don't let it be the last time that I get to hold him like this..

"Ralis.." he spoke aloud unthinkingly, his low voice soft with love and an aching longing for the boy Prince to open his eyes and see him, to _need _him as much as Link _needed _him.

"If you can hear me at all, I'm going to save you, I promise. Just please don't leave me. Don't ever leave me.. My Love.. Don't give up, because I'm not giving up on you, _ever_! I can't.. I _need_ you. Fight it, Ralis. Fight it just a little longer. You'll be safe soon. I Swear it by the Three. Fight this for yourself most of all, but also fight it for me. Please don't make me live without you, my Mate, because I can't do it. I.. I'm not strong enough.. to survive for long without you.. Give me the chance to win you heart… My Sweet Prince.. You are the One. Live for _us_. For what we can share with each other, if you will only love me in return.."

* * *

><p>Telma stared in surprise at the tender scene before her between the swordsman and the Zora child, but she backed out of the room and pulled the door shut quickly before Link could see her, making sure to be louder when she went back inside, watching Link's head jerk up to look at her from where his lips had been pressed to the boy's small forehead lovingly.<p>

The piercing intensity of his blue eyes robbed her of breath for a moment, but she cleared her throat slightly before speaking to him, acting normal, as though she hadn't seen anything, watching him relax gradually when she made no comment, most likely thinking that she hadn't seen the kiss after all.

"The wagon is ready, Link. Ilia waits for us just outside on the street with your horse. She just came running through the gate there up to Ilia the second she set foot outside my courtyard, probably wondering where you was since I assume that your horse knows Ilia, too?"

"Yes, Epona knows Ilia just as well as I do."

Link stood up carefully with Ralis in his arms, cradling his blanket-wrapped form against his chest with clear tenderness, following Telma out of the bar and up the stairs to where her wagon was parked and ready to go, climbing into the back for a moment to lay Ralis down despite his reluctance to let go of him and let him out of his sight again, settling him in so that he would be comfortable for the journey.

At least, as comfortable as was possible.

He sighed softly, pressing his lips to the boy's in a chaste kiss, pulling back quickly when Ilia climbed up into the wagon behind him, getting out again without a word to her, his blue eyes resting on Ralis's beautiful, delicate face for one last brief glance before he mounted Epona and they set off out of the open gates to head toward a place overlooking the Western bridge, where the three of them stood looking over towards it to come up with a plan of attack that would get them through to Kakariko safely.

"So you say the bridge to the East has been destroyed, huh?-" Telma said quietly, her big hands resting on her hips as she spoke. "-Then our only option is to cross the bridge to the West.-" They all watched as a large goblin, like the one that had tried to kidnap Colin from Kakariko, patrolled up and down the length of the bridge on his boar.

"-You see what that means? You'll have to deal with that thing!"

Link turned his head to look at Telma with a firm nod, clenching his lower jaw, and the determination in his blue eyes was strong : overwhelmingly so.

"I can handle him. I have fought such like him before. Only twice, but it's more then enough."

"Very well, Swordsman. It's your call."

They returned to the wagon and Epona, heading off toward the path that they had to take, Ilia sticking her head out the window in the side of the wagon to speak to Link.

"Th-Thank you so much for this. Um, if you don't mind me asking, what's your name?"

"It's Link."

"…Link?-" she said, her eyes going wide, and, for one heart-stopping moment of fear, he thought that she might've remembered him, but then she continued to speak, and he relaxed slowly when she said nothing about him at all.

"-I will never in all my life forget your kindness, Link."

"Little lady, I think you'd best save your thanks until we're safe in Kakariko… This swordsman of ours has great eyes, honey. They're proud and wild… like a feral beast. We need a beast right now, to keep the true ones at bay. If we make it to Kakariko safely, we'll just thank him then, okay?"

Ilia nodded with a smile, pulling her head back inside the wagon, and Telma blew him a kiss and winked, silently letting him know that she knew his secret, of his love for the boy in the back of the wagon, didn't think any less of him for it, and wouldn't tell anyone, and Link smiled at her gratefully in response.

"You ready to roll, Link?-" Telma asked him. "-You've got to protect these young ones on the way to Kakariko!"

Link nodded, saying softly, "Let's do this thing.."

She nodded, urging the horse that was pulling the wagon forward with the reins, and Link stayed beside the wagon on Epona the entire way to the bridge where he and Midna had been ambushed and almost lit on fire.

The huge goblin was waiting at the far end atop his boar.

"Okay, it's your turn, honey!-" Telma said to him quickly from her wagon-seat. "-We're counting on you!"

Link rode forward to face the large goblin, shooting him repeatedly with his beloved bow as he played chicken back and forth over the bridge with him, eventually causing the irate boar to turn, running face forward into the side of the bridge, launching the fat goblin over the edge with a loud bellow, and Link collected the gate keys that he had, thankfully, clumsily dropped before flying over the edge, following alongside Telma when she met him on the bridge so that they could cross it together for safety reasons.

"Nice, honey!-" she praised him. "-Keep up the good work!"

They kept going, Link shooting down the archers, putting out the flames with the boomarang when the fiery arrows hit the cover on the wagon, dismounting from Epona briefly to use the keys to open the locked gate ahead and let them through, climbing back atop his horse quickly to keep up with them.

Link finally managed to get them all safely to Kakariko, but it wasn't easy, so he was wiped out, exhausted by the time they made it through the second locked gate and into the village, nearly at the limits of even his formidable strength as he slumped against Epona's strong neck, for once allowing her to carry him without guidance of any kind, the thick strands of her long mane held limply in the fingers of his right hand as his eyes slid closed without his permission for a few minutes.

Somehow, though he had no idea how, he managed to rouse himself enough to dismount from Epona when she stopped walking once they all reached the Sanctuary at the far end of the village from the gate they came in at, leading her over to the spring before walking to the wagon, watching Telma get down off of it at the front and Ilia climb out of the back, the pair of them talking quietly while Link lifted the blanket-wrapped Prince Ralis back into his arms carefully, cradling him against his chest protectively as he carried him up the street to the Inn, and Renado.

* * *

><p>Renado finally emerged from where he had been tending to Ralis, stepping out onto the landing just outside the room upstairs in the Inn where Link was waiting anxiously for news with Colin by his side, as they had been speaking together of Ralis.<p>

"…He has passed through the worst of it.-" Renado spoke, his soft voice soothing Link's fears for the boy. "-As long as he rests, he should recover in due time. Do you know the fate of his mother? Her welfare consumes him. He has been mumbling deliriously about her almost constantly…-"

Link's face fell at the Shaman's question, his blue eyes lowering to the floor as pain filled his heart at the Prince's anguish and worry for a mother who was gone from this world, from her sweet son, forever.

"-…I can see the knowledge grieves you. It must be an awful memory."

"I'll stay with him until he's better!-" Colin piped up brightly. "-No matter how long it takes!"

Renado knelt down on one knee to look into the boy's face, touching his small arm with a pleased smile.

"Is that so? Thank you, Colin."

"Of course. If Link loves him, then he can't be at all bad."

Link flushed pink when Renado's eyes flew up to stare at his face in shock, averting his eyes while he cleared his throat, giving the Shaman a small nod to say that it was true.

"I'll return to see him as soon as I can, Renado. Please.. Take care of him?.. I must rest."

"I will, Link. I'll care for him as though he were my own child," the other man promised him sincerely.

"Thank you."

* * *

><p>Colin followed Link down the stairs and outside to where Telma was waiting on the long porch for news.<p>

"Hey, Link, about Ilia…-" Colin said to him quietly, Link looking down at him as he listened patiently.

"-Is it true, what they said about her?"

"Yes,-" Renado spoke unexpectedly from behind them, and they both turned to look at him. "-She has lost her memory, Colin, and regaining it will be no simple task. But it will be all right, child. If we just give her some time, I am certain that Ilia will find her heart again. So, Colin, I'd like to ask you to stay in this village until then. It is our turn to show the courage that you have already displayed."

Colin nodded with a happy smile, his face bright, almost glowing as he bounced back into the Inn.

Renado bowed respectfully to Link, turning away to go for a walk down the street, obviously needing some time to himself to think and relax before returning to the healing room.

"Nice to see there's still hope here,-" Telma spoke up from beside him, her eyes watching Renado where he was walking briefly before turning to look at Link.

"-And it's always good to see happy results repay your efforts…-"

Link turned back to her from where he had been about to go back inside the Inn, a surprised look on his face as she continued to speak.

"-Those skills of yours… Any chance you're of the mind to put them to use for Hyrule? What hope there is in our kingdom is frail and dying…but there's still a group trying to do what it can. And I'm a member of that group.-"

She held out her right hand to Link after moving closer to him, and he shook it with a small, tired smile.

"-Call me Telma. I may just stay here a bit longer.-" she said, walking over to the nearby railing to lean against it, her gaze fixed on Renado once again. "-I'm still worried about Ilia, and… Well, nevermind about the rest.-"

Link blinked, looking stunned at the implication that Telma was interested in Renado in that manner.

He could have told her that it would never work out, but, somehow he could sense that Telma was one of those strong, stubborn and independent women who had to find out everything for themselves.

"-Link, I want to see you again at my bar, you hear me?-" Telma continued, breaking his concentration on his thoughts when she came closer to him then she had before.

"-The bar is actually a kind of safe house for my friends. There's a passageway that leads to the castle from in there, as well.-"

She went around him to set off after Renado then, turning back to add with a smile, "-If you ever need anything, stop by. I'll be waiting for you, honey!"

Telma gave him another wink before she ran off to join Renado, and Link moved to go back into the Inn, this time stopped by the appearance of the Zora Queen.

He followed Rutela quickly, but she did wait for him patiently the few times that he fell behind because he was so tired, surprising Link when she led him into the graveyard behind Renado's Sanctuary.

When they reached the end of the graveyard, she vanished, removing the oddly-marked stone there to reveal a small tunnel which Link proceeded to crawl through, emerging into a beautiful hidden chamber filled with water.

He stripped off his weapons, quiver, the belt containing his pouch, and boots quickly, jumping into the cold, refreshing water and swimming across to where she waited for him.

"I am deeply grateful to you for aiding my son in his time of need,-" Rutela said softly, smiling as she looked down upon him from where she hovered above Link in the air.

"-You were right to bring him here. Kakariko village is a sacred place for the Zora people. It is where we take our eternal rest. My husband in life, King Zora, also rests his spirit here. It is no coincidence my son found his salvation in this place. …That which I have promised you is within this grave. During his lifetime, my husband created garments specifically for the Chosen Hero, garments that house the abilities of the Zora.-"

She opened the grave for him, and Link moved forward to kneel down beside it, reaching out to take the clothing, lifting it into his arms reverently, happy to have found something else the Hero of Old used so long ago, holding it close to his heart with a smile.

"-Now, at last, I can join the King in slumber. And yet… My son… He still knows nothing of my death. When you see him again, please pass on this message… Tell him he must not grieve his mother's passing for long.. Tell him she wanted him to be brave and live on as the King of our people. And… Tell him his mother…loves him without end. Tell him…"

"_Queen Rutela_, _wait_!" he pleaded when he realized that she was about to leave for good this time. "I need to talk to you.. about Prince Ralis.."

"_You love him_," she stated with soft, caring sea-green eyes.

"I could see it in the way that you touched him, the way that you looked at him, the way that you held him, spoke to him, kissed him.

You have my Blessing, Link, though not because you are the Chosen Hero, but, because you are a good man, with a pure, fiercely loving heart. You will be a good Consort to my son, a good Mate.

He is yet young to rule our people, but you can guide him, help him, when he needs it.

You may tell him that his mother said so."

"Thank you.. Mother."

She looked at him in surprise that he would want to call her that, but she floated down to his level quickly, surprising him when she pulled him into a hug and kissed both of his cheeks gently, embarrassing him a little.

"You are most welcome, my son. Take care of him, please.."

"I shall. With all the strength in my body. Forever."

"I could not ask for anything more. Farewell, Link."

"Farewell, Rutela."

She nodded, floating back from him a little, smiling down at him.

He smiled back up at her, and then she was gone.

"Well, it's a good thing you found all of your friends and picked up that nifty Zora armor…-" Midna said, popping up out of his shadow once the Queen had left.

"-But aren't you forgetting something kind of important? That last Fused Shadow… Remember what Faron the light spirit said… He said you would need the Fused Shadows to defeat the Dark Overlord Zant and save the world… So even if you go back to Ordon now to take all of the kids you saved home… The whole tragedy would just repeat itself… So let's go get it! We need to go to the Temple on the lakebed of Lake Hylia."

Link swam back across the water with the armor held tightly in his arms when Midna disappeared again back into his shadow, relieved when he didn't have to wait for the garments to dry because the magic that was weaved into the cloth repelled water to prevent it from weighing it's wearer down while using it, putting it away into his endless pouch carefully, along with his shield, bow and quiver, keeping only his sword as a caution, strapping it onto his back again, fastening the belt that held his pouch back around his waist before crawling back through the tunnel that led to the graveyard, but that was as far as he made it, collapsing onto his belly there in the dirt heavily with a soft grunt of surprise, Midna popping back out of his shadow as Link tried and failed to get his too-stiff, tired muscles to move.

"Are you alright, Link?" she asked him in concern, her tiny left hand touching his right shoulder gently.

"Should I take you to Renado?"

"No, 'Dina," he reassured her quietly. "I'm alright. I'm not wounded, just exhausted, sore and stiff.. And hungry. Very hungry.. If you would.. take me to Death Mountain? I want to check in with the gorons, and I can rest and eat there as well as anywhere else."

"Uh, huh," Midna teased him, putting her hands on her tiny hips where she hovered in the air beside Link.

"I think that you just don't want to be here now that Ilia is, regardless of the fact that she doesen't remember who _she_ even is, let alone _you_."

"_I_ think you know me too well now, Midna," Link said, laughing briefly before he became more serious again.

"If you knew her as I do, you would understand why I feel the way that I do. It's not cruelty, though some might see it so, its self-preservation. Even her mere presence drags me down, makes me unhappy.. And, the way that she talks to me.. As though I am her gullible, doting husband who should give her anything and everything that she wants without complaint.. It makes me feel physically sick inside.. Even if I did love women.. I could _never_ submit myself to that sort of treatment willingly.."

"I might understand more then you think that I do," Midna said darkly, but then she changed the subject quickly, and Link respected the fact that she obviously didn't want to discuss what she referred to at the present time.

"Do you want to go to Death Mountain now?"

"Yes, thank you, 'Dina."

She nodded, reaching out to touch his shoulder again, and they both vanished from the graveyard instantly.

* * *

><p>Peter the goron was standing in the dirt clearing near where the fiery pillar had stood before it had disappeared mysteriously, tensing when he saw a flash of black light, wondering if it was another attack by the twilight as he turned to face where the light had originated, a deep sound of concern rumbling through his rock-hard chest when he saw Link lying on the ground on his belly in the middle of the darker spot of earth where the pillar had been.<p>

The ground shook with his steps as Pete ran to Link's side quickly, reaching out to roll him over onto his back gently, careful to be mindful of how much stronger he was then the human male, relieved to see that his friend's eyes were open, free of any sign of serious pain as he looked up at him with a smile.

"_Peter_!" Link said brightly, still smiling. "How are you, brother?"

"_How am I_?.." he said incredulously. "I should be asking _you_ that, brother Link!"

"Me?.." Link said in surprise at his response. "I'm perfectly okay, merely in need of a good, long rest and sustenance to fill my poor, empty, aching tummy. I pushed myself a little harder then I should have this time, but then, who wouldn't give everything that they had when the one that they love was in danger of dying?"

"We can talk on it later, brother," Peter said in a low voice.

"First, I shall get you food, then you may rest. Where are the rest of your belongings? All I see is your sword."

"Everything I have is with me, except for my horse. Epona waits patiently for me by the spirit's spring below in Kakariko village."

"Oh. Okay, then. May I pick you up to carry you to the meeting room?"

"Um.. actually, would you mind very much taking me to the hot-spring?.. I'm really quite sore. It's.. kind of why I can't move much. My muscles are stiff.. They feel tighter then the string on my bow right before I release an arrow.. That's probably the only reason that I haven't fallen asleep on my feet already.. I'm too tense and uncomfortable.."

"_Oh_! Of course, brother. I will take you there first."

Peter lowered his large, boulder-like body to his knees beside him, scooping Link up against his chest and into his thick, bulky arms gently, concerned when Link jerked in his hold and cried out in pain as he stood up again to start walking.

"Did I hurt you, brother?"

"No.. No, its.. its not you, I'm just.. _really_ sore.. Everything hurts.."

"Oh. Okay. Then the sooner I get you to the spring, the better," Peter said, starting to walk quickly with his friend held securely, but not too tightly for the strength of a human, in his arms.

* * *

><p>Peter set Link down beside the spring, both of them ignoring the other gorons watching nearby while he helped him unstrap his sword from his back and set it aside, then just watched Link when he shook his head when Peter would have continued to help him, undoing his own belt to set it and the pouch that it held beside his sword.<p>

Then Link managed, slowly and painfully, to strip out of his damp tunic down to his leggings, grateful when Peter spread the tunic and undershirt out by his belongings to dry from his swim across the water to Rutela.

Pete lifted Link back into his arms, wading with him down into the water, sitting down beside the rock at the far end where Link had sat before when he was here, when they first met, lowering him down into the water slowly since he could tell from his wet clothing that he had been in cold water recently.

Link shuddered and groaned softly without realizing it as the hot water embraced his suddenly shaking body, unable to prevent himself from slumping weakly against Peter's left side as his too-taunt muscles gradually relaxed, his fair lashes fluttering briefly as his eyes slid closed without his permission.

"Oh, Goddesses, this feels.. amazing. I'm not used to riding Epona as much as I have been lately. Thank you, Peter.. For helping me.."

"Of course, brother Link. I am happy to help you in any way that I can."

"_Mmm_.. Thank you, brother.. I don't think that I'm going to make it to eat at this point.. It'll have to wait until I wake up.."

"That's okay, but, at least let me get you some milk to drink from Aries over there at the shop, though. You shouldn't sleep on a completely empty stomach."

"I'd appreciate it, Peter, thank you.."

* * *

><p>When Link woke up he was lying on his back in a bed that was surprisingly comfortable considering that it was made of metal, turning his head to the side and blinking open his eyes, seeing his sword and endless pouch lying on a small square metal table to his left, his eyes then drifting to where Peter sat in a large metal chair by the bed, smiling slightly when he saw him.<p>

"Hey, Pete.."

"Morning, brother Link!" he said with an enthusiastic grin. "You must have been exhausted.. You slept a long time!"

"Oh?.." Link said, moving his arms up above his head as he stretched with a soft groan, stiffening his sleep-limp muscles, then relaxing his whole body before rolling over onto his left side to face him, noting that the metal bed was in a small, rectangular alcove with a light-brown cloth curtain covering the entrance for privacy.

"How long was I out?.."

"Just a little over ten hours," Peter answered him quietly, feeling embarrassed that he had been admiring the beauty of the human male's face in sleep, averting his large black eyes when Link sat up quickly at his answer, the blankets sliding down and off his bare, strong, obviously muscled, but soft and venerable compared to that of the gorons, chest, concealing the fact that he was studying Link's body out of the corner of his eyes curiously.

"_Ten hours_?" Link practically yelped, his blue eyes widening, obviously panicked now.

"Why didn't you wake me, Peter? _Din's Fire_, where are my clothes? I need to eat, and then get back down to the village! The others will be worried about me since I disappeared without saying anything, and I need to check on.."

"Your Mate?" Peter asked, standing up and turning away to retrieve Link's cream-colored undershirt and his green tunic from where he had hung them to dry more on the metal line that held the privacy curtain, handing them over and watching Link pull the undershirt on over his head quickly.

"I know you said that she had almost died, and that you had managed to save her.." Peter trailed off when Link visibly tensed, his hands forming fists in the fabric of his tunic where it lay on his lap, his mouth a thin, upset line as his blue eyes became emotionless pools as he looked at the goron without blinking.

"Um, I'm sorry?.." he said hesitantly, uncertain why Link had reacted how he did to his question, slightly unnerved by his stare.

"I didn't mean to offend you, Link.."

Link looked away from him finally, drawing in a deep breath and letting it out slowly, relaxing with obvious effort before looking back at Peter again with a quiet sigh as his hands loosened their grip on his tunic slowly.

"No, Peter, my brother, _I_ am the one who is sorry. I am not good at discussing my… personal life.. my emotions, with others. I never have been. But.. You are my friend, and so.. I will try my best to trust you. Farore knows, I need someone that I can trust before I lose my mind.."

Peter blinked, looking at Link in surprise at his explanation.

"I appreciate and am honored by your trust. I shall do my best not to abuse it in any way."

"Thank you," Link said softly, lowering his eyes to stare at his own hands where they lay on top of his tunic still as he continued to speak haltingly, obviously having difficulty getting the words out.

"Peter, I.. I.. I do not like.. women in that manner.. The one that I rescued.. and brought to Kakariko so that Renado could heal him.. My Mate.. The man I love.. Is Ralis, Prince of the Zoras. But there are.. complications. He does not even know that I rescued him.. or that I love him.. For he was so close to death.. Delirious in his fevered-unconsciousness.. And I have not seen him since carrying him in my arms to the Inn. I know that he lives, and is on the mend, but.. that is all. He is all alone in this world now but for his people.. His father is long gone, and.. his mother.. Queen Rutela, was recently murdered by the evil that threatens us all.. He doesen't even know it yet, and.. I must tell him when he wakes, pass on a message to him from her lips.. I do not know what to do.. How to tell him.. He is _hurting_, so much.. crying out for her touch in his sleep.. I can only hope that he will love me in return when he wakes.. accept the solace that I can offer him in my arms.. That my heart _aches_ to give him.. I just.. I need to hold him, _so badly_.. To see him open his eyes and.. just.. _look_ at me.. To _know_, for _certain_ that he'll make it.. _Farore's Wisdom_..," Link said, sniffling softly as he brushed the pair of tears that slid down his cheeks away with his thumbs quickly in embarrassment.

"If there was ever a time that I needed that, it's now.. I'm sorry, Peter.. I didn't mean to dump all of my worries and fears on your shoulders like this.."

"Do not worry, brother Link!" Peter said, trying to cheer him up. "My shoulders are strong, and they shall not falter under the heaviest load!" then he became more serious as he continued to speak quietly, his chest rumbling with the sound of his voice like soft thunder in the distance. "And do not worry that you love the Zora Prince. That is your choice to make. You must follow your heart, brother, and, despite what others think, no one here will ever turn their backs on you, or ever make you feel ashamed, for it. It would be hypocritical considering that we are all just as you are, Hero. Those of us who have Mates, at least. I am yet too young by the standards of my people to take a lover, but soon I will."

"You mean.. all of you love males?.." Link asked in obvious shock, his blue eyes wide at the information.

"Yes, brother, we do. Gor Coron is the Mate, the Consort, of Patriarch Darbus."

"Oh.. But, your children?.. Where do they come from, if not your women?.."

"Gorons are all born of the red earth of the mountain on which we live. Din shapes each of us with Her hands to be unique. We need no women, therefore we have none. It has been this way since the time of the Hero of Old, when Din's heart softened toward us, letting us live the way that we had always wanted to without interference by deciding that She would not create female gorons any longer, for their sake as well as ours, since it was rare that a Mating between a male and female goron was successful."

"Really? Wow. How come they weren't very often successful?"

Peter shrugged one large shoulder, shaking his head with a smile.

"Who really ever knows why one creature is or is not drawn to another in that way? It's all emotional and physical, not mental. If you can think clear enough to come up with one definite, solid reason why it makes sense logically for you to be with the one that you are with, then it's not love. Love doesn't make sense, Link. It's messy, it's emotional, crazy, wonderful, frustrating, amazing, aggravating, and brilliant. It's love, you can't use just one word or feeling to define it. It's too vast and overwhelming for that. If there's no emotion, no passion involved, then it's not the kind of love that you should have with someone that you are sharing your body with."

"Wow.." Link repeated, pulling on his tunic over his head before climbing out of the bed, smoothing it down with his hands before pulling on his boots when he saw them sitting on the floor by the table.

"You are really smart, Peter. But, how do you know all this when you don't have a Mate yet?"

"I listen to my elders. They're all very intelligent, and experienced, because they have lived so long."

"_Mmm_.." Link hummed thoughtfully. "Yes, that makes sense.."

Link lifted up his sword's sheath from the table, strapping it onto his back again diagonally so that the hilt was tilted to the left side where it stuck out of the sheath, making small strap adjustments until it was on right so that it wouldn't limit his movements during fighting.

Then he opened his endless pouch where it sat on the table, reaching inside with both of his hands, smiling at Peter's look of surprise when he pulled first his quiver full of arrows, then his Hylian Shield out of the small leather bag to lay them on the bed, closing the pouch securely before strapping the quiver onto his back, angling it's opening to the opposite side of his back as the hilt of his sword, strapping his shield on over that, then fastening the belt that held his pouch around his waist tightly.

The last thing that he put on again was his hat, picking it up from where Peter must have laid it on the table dry and folded up under his pouch, pulling it down onto his head so that it covered the back of it, as well as most of his longish, dirty-blonde hair before he turned to face Peter with a smile.

"So.. How do I look?"

"Much better rested then yesterday, brother Link."

"Good, brother Peter. Then I'd better go tell Gor Coron thank you for his hospitality in allowing me to stay here before I leave."

Peter nodded, and they went out, leaving the small alcove together, emerging into the large room where Gor Coron had faced Link in a sumo wrestling match before allowing him access to the mines just beyond.

Peter put a large, comforting hand over the back of Link's shoulders with a smile, and Link smiled back, watching his friend curl up into a ball and roll away after making a silent motion with his other hand that meant he would return with food for Link shortly.

Link approached Gor Coron respectfully then, giving him his thanks for letting him stay the night in their mountain home.

"I thank you for allowing me to stay here to rest and recover from my difficult journey back to Kakariko, Gor Coron."

"Of course, Link, brother, our mountain is always open to you. You may consider it your home, if you like, even when you find another."

"Really?" Link asked him in surprise. "Thank you. That means a lot to me, Gor Coron. More then I could ever express."

"Of course. Tell me, brother, you and Peter seem.. rather close.. It's not that I wouldn't allow it to occur, but, relationships between humans and gorons that evolve past friendship can be dangerous to the human. Such things never end well.. I would caution you against pursuing this.."

"_What_?" Link gasped, his blue eyes going wide with shock as a short, breathless laugh escaped him before he could stop it.

"You thought?.. Me and Peter?.. I.. no. It's not that I wouldn't consider it, if I were a goron, but.. no, we're definitely just friends. Good friends. I.. already have a possible Mate that I'm hoping will accept my Courting of him."

Gor Coron nodded his head, pleased by Link's wide smile and the honesty that was so clear in his eyes.

"Good. `Tis better that way. But, now, young warrior! The patriarch wandered home as if nothing had ever happened! It seems he remembers nothing of the events in the mines… I feel you deserve his thanks, but… give him some time. He is proud, and I do not wish him further anguish. We will honor our debt to you, though. If you find trouble, we will do our part to help you. That is a promise, young warrior!"

Link frowned slightly, and the goron elder was surprised to see hurt flash in his eyes, though it was quickly concealed behind the blue-crystal depths.

"Please.." Link said softly. "I would prefer it not be considered a debt, but.. more of an.. exchange of gifts between friends, brothers?"

"If that is your wish?"

"It is."

"Then let it be so, brother."

"Thank you."

Gor Coron nodded, smiling at him.

"Do come back to visit us, and Peter, when you may?"

"I shall, yes," Link promised with a nod and a smile, moving to the left of him now to speak with the next elder in line.

"We owe you much…" the shaky elder with the cane said quietly.

"When things calm down a bit, I will travel to Kakariko and help, too."

"Thank you," Link said to him with a grateful smile before moving onto the next elder, the one who liked peace, quiet and meditation, surprised when he laughed at Link's approach.

"Oh ho ho! Well done, young human! I should tell you, I had a hunch you would assist us. Now then… It is my turn to show you my gratitude!"

"Please, I already have everything I could possibly need. I'm just happy to be considered a brother of the Goron Tribe."

"Very well, young Link. I shall respect your request, brother."

Link nodded again with another smile, moving on to speak to the last elder, the one with the pipe.

"Looks like the Hero's weapon came in handy…-" he laughed loudly, the sound echoing throughout the large chamber before dying off slowly. "-The world does not appear to be peaceful enough for us to store it away and not use it. Your journey must have purpose, young human, so you should bear it with you."

"Thank you," Link said gratefully. "The bow, and quiver.. They mean a lot to me. It's.. like a link to my namesake. Holding them.. using them, it makes me feel close to him, and his Mate."

"Aye? Well, I am glad for you, then. Keep them, with the Blessing of the Tribe of the Gorons."

"Thank you."

Peter returned just then with the food for him, a half loaf of homemade bread, as well as cheese, ham, and honeyed-wine, and Link smiled at him gratefully, accepting it happily, returning with him to the small alcove so that he could sit and eat at the metal table, devouring the food hungrily, blushing pink in embarrassment when he finally noticed Peter looking at him with wide-eyed astonishment, swallowing his current mouthful quickly before speaking.

"I'm sorry. Did you want some, Peter?"

"Huh?.." Peter said, obviously shaking his head to clear it. "Oh, no, Link. I got the food for you, from the village below. Renado was most generous when I explained that it was for you. Gorons eat rocks, so, we have no human food here on the mountain."

"Uh, right,-" Link said, taking a quick-swallow from the flask of wine before laying it back down on the table and returning to the food eagerly, not wanting to drink too much of it and get a fuzzy head from the alcohol.

"-I knew that from the old tales and songs."

Soon, he had finished his meal, standing up to hug Peter in farewell.

"Thank you, my friend. You may keep the wine, if you want it. I don't really drink much. I'll return to visit again as soon as I can."

"Of course, brother," Peter said, embracing him back gently with a wide grin, looping the cord attached to the lid of the flask of wine around his arm tightly.

"Thank you for the wine. I will share it amongst our brothers."

"Good. I'll see you again, Peter."

"Of course. I'll accompany you to the base of the mountain, if you'd like?"

"I would. At least your company is pleasant, my friend.."

* * *

><p>They took the elevator down together, making their way to the hot-springs so that Link could purchase milk from Aries at the shop there, before they continued down the mountain, chatting as they went.<p>

"So, your Mate?.." Peter said quietly, almost hesitantly.

"Prince Ralis?" Link said in surprise at his query, glancing at Pete briefly.

"Yes. Is he.. beautiful?.."

"Oh, Din's Fire, yes.." Link breathed, his soft voice holding obvious tones of reverence and love. "The most beautiful male that I have ever seen. And his eyes.. You could almost drown inside them, and be happy to expire so. I've never seen anyone, or anything, so beautiful, or so small.. But, then, he's young yet. I imagine he'll grow. Would.. would you like to come down into the village with me? I have an errand to do, but then I'll be checking on him before I go to purge his Lake Temple."

"Really?.." Peter asked Link in shock, his black eyes widening at his offer. "You would let me see him?.."

"Of course, Pete," Link replied, glancing over at him again, this time in puzzlement just as they reached the tall overhang that led off of the mountain and down into the village.

"We are friends."

Peter nodded, but he still looked stunned, making a motion with his huge arms where they stood near the edge.

"May I?.."

"Huh? Oh, sure. Go ahead. It's okay, really."

Peter grinned broadly at that, scooping Link off his feet and up into his arms with quick, but gentle, movements, holding him like a babe against his broad chest as he walked close to the precipice, jumping down with the human male in his arms, bending his knees to absorb the impact of the fall and not jostle his friend, setting him down on his feet carefully, once Link had regained his equilibrium after the fall, near the Guardian Goron of the mountain pass, who spoke to Link quietly.

"The other day I chased you off without listening to what you had to say… Please, accept my apology, Brother! If you ever need to go up the mountain again, I will launch you as high as I can, Brother!"

"I accept your apology, brother, though, the injury that you caused to my hip was not very enjoyable, but, I forgive you. You were only doing what you should, trying to protect your home. I most likely would have done the same to you before I knew you."

"Of course. And, thank you. Anytime you want to go up, I will send you flying, brother!"

"Thank you," Link said again before he and Peter continued down into the village together.

Peter followed Link into Barnes's bomb shop, standing by the door with his big arms crossed over his broad chest to look intimidating since he had noticed the rising tension in his friend as they had walked here, sensing somehow that Link did not like this man for some reason, though he saw Link smile at him subtly at his protective actions before he stepped up to the counter with obvious reluctance to speak to the owner of the shop.

"Hey!-" Barnes said in greeting, his voice curling inside Link's pointed ears in a slightly creepy manner as he spoke. "-I've been waitin' for you!-" thankfully, though, he went straight to business after that. "-Take a peek at this! I finished my water bombs! These little fellas are so advanced, you can even use 'em in the water! Oh, they'll come in handy, guaranteed. You gonna buy some?"

"I will, yes."

"All right, now! Take a good gander at Master Barnes's handmade bombs! Mmm… Looks like your bomb bag has some other sort of bomb in it… Head to the counter next to this one to use our buyback program. You got any bombs you ain't gonna use, we'll take 'em off your hands."

Link inwardly rolled his eyes, but he walked to the other counter, watching Barnes run over to him.

"A very good day to you, sir!-" he said, a bit louder then was necessary in Link's opinion, but then, he did have abnormally sensitive ears.

"-Welcome to the incredibly fancy bomb buyback counter! Mercy me, what do we have here? It appears you have some bombs! Allow me a moment's peek into that bag… Now…Bombs, huh… If you're of a mind to sell those, I'll buy your twenty three bombs for thirty four rupees. How does that sound, sir?"

"Yes, I will sell them."

"Splendid! I'll give you thirty four Rupees for your twenty three bombs! Very well, then! Farewell!"

Barnes then ran back over to the other counter, and Link followed him, purchasing five Water Bombs for thirty rupees, which was blatant thievery, but Link didn't care enough to quibble, because he just wanted to leave the shop as soon as possible, both to get away from Barnes, and to check on Ralis.

"Well hey, we're open twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, so you just drop on by anytime!" Barnes said, his tone slightly suggestive when Link turned away to go, obviously not daring to say anything more because of Peter's presence by the door.

Link drew a deep breath into his lungs, relaxing visibly as he stood on the small porch beside Peter, the two of them going down the steps and heading in the direction of the Inn together.

"Link…" Peter said quietly, glancing at his brother briefly. "May I ask what that was about, my friend?"

"I…. suppose. Barnes.. he has an.. interest in me that goes beyond friendship. No one else in the village knows that, and I'd rather not talk about it.."

"As you wish, brother Link."

"Thanks, Peter.."

They entered the Inn then, climbing the stairs to head up to the healing room, Link chasing Ilia, Beth, Colin and Luda out of the room, ignoring Ilia's angry glare back in his direction before she flounced out dramatically to follow the other three down to the lower floor with clear reluctance.

Link sat down in a nearby chair beside Ralis, taking the boy's delicate right hand in both of his gently, lowering his head down to press his soft lips to the backs of his cool fingers lovingly, sensing Peter move up closer behind him to look down at the Zora boy's face with a grin, speaking to Link softly.

"You are right, brother Link, he is beautiful. Like a small, delicate shining seashell. But there is an inner strength inside him. I can see that very clearly. He will be a good Mate to you, and you to him, brother."

"Thank you, brother Peter," Link said softly in reply, nuzzling his cheek against the back of the Prince's hand affectionately.

"Your words comfort me. I can only pray that he will accept me when he wakes.."

"I see no logical reason why he would not, but you are right, love is not logical in any of its aspects. I will also pray that you get what you need in him, brother."

"Thank you, brother.."

* * *

><p>Link stayed there with Ralis and Peter for another two hours, caring for the Zora boy tenderly before he finally had to go, pressing gentle kisses to the Prince's forehead, then his nose, stroking his face with loving fingers as he touched his forehead to his and closed his eyes, kissing his lips briefly, keeping it chaste before whispering in his right ear softly,<p>

"I love you, Ralis.. I promise that I will rid your lake temple of the filth that now infests its sacred depths. Be well, my Heart, my Sweet Prince.."

Then he and Peter left to go down the stairs, and Link sent Colin, Beth and Luda back up to care for him, noticing that Ilia had left to go pout about his treatment of her the Goddesses knew where, but he didn't care at all.

They left the Inn, and Link escorted Peter back to the base of the mountain path, hugging him again in farewell.

"I'll see you soon, Peter, my brother."

"Yes, brother Link. See you soon."

Link watched Peter curl into a ball and roll away back up the mountain, then he headed back through town toward Renado's Sanctuary, entering the building and looking around, moving toward the Shaman and Telma when he saw them talking together.

"Something about that Zora boy is giving me a feeling of… unease.-" Renado said quietly to Link. "-I worry that something may have happened to the Zoras of Lake Hylia… …But I must first find a way to recover Ilia's memory. She suffers, and I must help. If I discover anything, I will let you know immediately, so please allow me a little time…"

"Of course, Renado. I have rescued the Zora's already, and now I go to purge the evil from their temple."

"Oh?" Renado said in surprise. "This is wonderful news, Link, thank you! I shall worry no longer about the Zoras and instead concentrate all my healing efforts on Ilia and your Heart, Prince Ralis."

"Thank you. I'm very grateful for everything that you have already done for him, Renado."

"Of course, Link. I am a healer. It's in my blood. Most in my line have been healers, as well."

"Have you listened to everything Renado had to say?-" Telma spoke up now. "-I'm worried about Ilia, too… but I'm more concerned about the Zoras of Lake Hylia right now. Of course, I agree with Renado completely. This man is ASTUTE! You go on now, Link! See after the Zoras at the lake!"

"I will. I'll see you in Castle Town, Telma."

"You bet you will, Swordsman!"


	14. Chapter 14 The Water Temple

**Thank You for your reviews! :**

**darkyami1214 (I definitely like your ideas, but, we'll see. This story kind of has a mind of it's own, a very strong one. I never know all that I'm going to write for the next chapter until I sit down to do it. :)),**

**Writer-Girl-19 (*smiles* I'm glad that you like it so much! So do I! :) Well, the game probably couldn't be like this because it wouldn't have gotten as much sales because of all the awful homophobes out there.. :( But, oh well.. More for us! :) Anyway, here's your update! Enjoy! :)),**

**subaru1999 (I'm glad that you like it so much! :) Yeah, I think I've done them justice so far, and I hope that I can continue to do so. :) I really liked that part, too. :) I didn't even know I was going to do that until I got there, if you can believe that! :) _AND_.. Here's what happens next! Enjoy! :)),**

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**~Sweet-Hearted SilverEars~  
><strong>

**Chapter 14 The Water Temple **or **Confrontation With Zant,** **Losing The Fused Shadows **or **Midna's Dire Plight** or **Meeting Louise And Jovani **or **Returning** **To Princess Zelda Through The Hidden Waterways Beneath Hyrule Castle**

Link headed for the graveyard, fighting the large nest of crows in the trees in front of the tunnel when they attacked, gathering up the stolen rupees that fell form their trees, going through the small tunnel that led to the Zora King and Queen's Resting Place, putting his quiver and bow into his endless pouch so that the water wouldn't harm them before swilling across the water to the grave marker, changing into his new Zora-made armor behind it after removing the rest of his things quickly except for his cream-colored undershirt and pants, putting the belt that held his pouch back around his waist, and his sword and shield, in that order, back over his shoulders.

Then he placed his green tunic, the one that had belonged to the hero of old, his Namesake, within his endless pouch reverently, then he pulled out the iron boots, putting them on his feet after placing his soft, comfortable brown leather boots in his pouch as well, hopping down into the water then finally.

He sank to the bottom quickly, looking around, using the water bombs to blow up a large boulder to the left of the grave marker, collecting a red rupee from beneath it.

Then, he blew up a pair of boulders to the right of the grave marker, surprised when it revealed a dark tunnel, removing his iron boots, placing them back into his pouch quickly before swimming into it, emerging on the other side in Lake Hylia, the spirit's spring on the far side of the water from where he entered, seeing this when he briefly surfaced before taking in a deep breath and diving back beneath the water, going near to the middle of the lake and swimming down, down, down, to the Temple, realizing that the Zora's must have chosen the deepest part of the lake for their Temple to protect it from Outsiders, people not of their race.

When he finally reached the bottom, he spoke to a female Zora warrior that was on guard duty.

"Can you see the bubbles rising from the depths?-" she asked him quietly. "It's dangerous to swim too close. That current is strong enough to carry away most people, Hero…"

"Thanks for the warning."

The Zora woman nodded, swimming away gracefully, and Link headed toward the heavy stream of bubbles on the far side from the entrance to the Temple, speaking to another female guard there.

"Sir, you wear the garb of the Hero in my people's legends…-" she said hesitantly. "-Are you, perhaps…?"

"Yes, I'm Link. Namesake of the Hero of Old. We are well met."

"Well met! I, dear Hero, am Zatina, a maker of bombs. Pardon me for asking… Have you heard of water bombs? They are very dangerous indeed, but you should be able to master them. I am sure you would find them quite useful. How would you like to buy some of my homemade water bombs for ninety rupees? Hmm?"

"Well, I do already have some.. But I'm sure I could use more, and I'd much rather buy them from you them my other supplier."

"Thank you, Link. Let me put these in your bag… If you ever run out of water bombs, please come back for more."

"I shall, yes. Thank you. Now, I must open the way so that I may enter your Temple to confront and remove the evil within its Sacred depths."

"_Oh_? Thank you, Hero! I wish for you to succeed in this endeavor. We all do. On behalf of the Zora people, I shall pray to the Three for your safety and strength in the many trials ahead of you. Good luck!"

"I thank you. I'm sure I shall have need of it. Your Prince, Ralis, lives, and will recover in time to return to you."

"_Truly_?" Zatina asked him, her face transforming into an expression of relief and excitement for her Sovereign's return. "This is wonderous news! I shall tell the others so that the message may be passed on to all of the Zora people, wherever they may be."

Link nodded, smiling a little at her reaction to the information, heading back to the other side of the space surrounding the entrance to the Temple, speaking to the female Zora that was guarding the blocked entrance to it.

"The place beyond this rock is Sacred to my people. It was once called the Zora Temple, and was were we came to hold our Mating Ceremonies, and to give birth to our children. But now it has been overrun by monsters… They are everywhere, and we can now no longer use this Sacred Place as it was meant to be used by the Goddesses Decree. All we could do was seal them in so they do not bring darkness to others…"

"That's terrible.." Link said softly in reply, feeling rage fill his heart for a moment that such a place was being defiled, a place where only acts to form life-long love and the sacrifice of pain to bring life into this world had been preformed, a cold, deadly calm taking place of the hot, burning anger, giving him the concentration and clarity of the emotional detachment that he needed to accomplish his goal here.

"Well, I'm going to reopen it and go inside to get rid of their defiling filth and infestation for the Zora people. I've grown rather adept at monster slaying as of late."

"And you are?"

"Link."

"_Oh_!" she gasped softly. "Forgive me for not recognizing you, Hero. You garb should have told me all that I needed to know."

"No, it's alright. Caution, in these troubled times, should be cast evenly upon all, for you can never tell when evil is at work in someone's heart. You are to be commended for not blindly trusting me."

"Thank you, Hero."

Link nodded once again, then set about using a bomb to blast apart the boulder blocking the path to the Zora Temple.

First, he used one to blow up the cap on the vent below the entrance to make the bubbles flow stronger like the ones on the other side of this space, placing a second bomb in the same place, watching the bubble jet carry it up to the boulder, where it finally went off, opening the entrance to the Temple for him, swimming inside with a quick wave to the three watching Zora's outside.

* * *

><p>He swam along a dark, gloomy tunnel that eventually started to slope downward, avoiding a dangerous looking clam, as well as two electrified jellyfish, before the tunnel extended upward again, avoiding two more jellyfish before coming to the surface of a small pool, climbing out and looking around the large room, killing all the blob-like monsters within the chamber before changing back into his green tunic, putting the Zora armor away before pulling out his quiver and bow, fastening them both back onto his shoulders beneath his protective shield, fastening his belt back around his waist quickly before going up the left side of the blue staircase ahead, seeing that the door was barred, but noticing a large, ornate golden lever, jumping to grab it, pulling it down effectively with the weight of his body, opening the bars, going back up the stairs and through the door.<p>

He went forward, stopping quickly when a stalactite broke free of the ceiling with a loud crack, falling to the floor far below, surprised when Midna popped up out of his shadow.

"Whoa!-" she said, eyeing the fallen rock fragments warily. "-That's treacherous… Whoa! Don't you think you ought to knock down those stalactites hanging off the ceiling first? They don't look to be very stable. I'd bet they'd break pretty easily if you hit them with enough force, don't you think?"

Midna vanished again, and Link shot down the four remaining stalactites from the ceiling by combining his arrows and water bombs to form bomb-arrows, careful not to blow up himself or his beloved bow, although he knew that both the bow and quiver were Blessed with the protection and strength of the three Goddesses to protect it.

Then he put it away again on his back, continuing down the long, steep ramp that had clearly been a bridge that had spanned the huge cavern before it had been broken somehow, staying on the tops of the fallen stalactites as much as possible to avoid the monsters scattered throughout the huge room, killing them all from a distance with more bomb-arrows, finally reaching the other side, finding a blue rupee and water bombs to the left of the rest of the broken bridge before going through the door ahead, crossing the short bridge and dispatching the mutant lizard on the other side with four slashes of his sword, finishing him off by leaping up and coming down atop him, stabbing him through the chest quickly, cleaning the bright-red blood off his blade with a whispered spell that the spirit, Lanayru, had taught to him in a mental-message, before sheathing it and opening the strangely-marked light sand-colored door ahead.

The room that he entered was the biggest one so far, and Link marveled silently at the sheer enormity of this Temple, figuring that it must be an enormous amount of Goddess-Magic that held the large chambers intact beneath all of this water pressure.

Link headed down the long flight of stairs in front of him, then up a much shorter set, turning to the left and killing a blue water spider, followed by another before locating a small good chest, opening it to find arrows within, adding them to the others inside his quiver before backtracking a little the way that he had come, finding another golden lever, activating it, watching in surprise as it spun the staircase so that the base now rested where he stood, dropping down onto the smaller steps before ascending back up the long flight quickly.

Then he went left again, killing a third water spider before activating another lever, heading back down the stairs after they spun again, going to the left and finding a large blue chest that contained the dungeon map.

Link then backtracked to a nearby door, going through it and crossing a bridge, killing a strange looking creature with a very hard shell when it charged him with a sharp squeal that reminded him of that of a pig, going after the animal's venerable backside to accomplish the deed before cleaning and sheathing his blade once again before entering the next chamber.

He looked around, using the bomb-arrows again to take out the stalactites, then he turned left, going down a stone-passageway to reach a bridge, seeing one of the fallen stalactites had bridged the gap that had been there, crossing it to reach some vines hanging around a circular stone structure, climbing them and circling around it to get over the wide gap, dropping down from the vines to hop across to another, smaller circular rock, then jumping to the second fallen stalactite when the strong water jet directly beneath it lifted it up to the proper level where he could reach it, jumping to the last ledge that rested against the wall from the far side of the room from where he had entered at, opening the dark-blue and silver chest there to find a small key, stowing it away in his endless pouch quickly.

* * *

><p>Once Link had made it back to the main circular chamber, he headed back up the long flight of stairs and to the right, killing a water spider before finding a small blue pot, picking it up intending to smash it for whatever might be inside, surprised when Ooccoo shattered the pot in his hands with a loud squawk before landing on the floor in front of Link and turning to face him and speak.<p>

"Phew! Free at last! Gracious… You're that nice fellow who helped me out the other day! How nice to see you again! Well, now that we've found each other again, let's stick together for a bit, hmm? I'll be right with you, so if you want to warp out, just let me know!"

Link nodded with a small smile, Ooccoo flew up to land on his shoulder, and he backtracked a little to the locked door, opening it with his small key before tossing in back into the endless pouch and then going through the door, crossing the bridge there and killing another shell creature, entering the next chamber quickly.

Link turned left, noticing a stalactite on the ceiling, shooting it down with another bomb arrow, getting up onto it and climbing the vines up the nearby wall, moving to the left then and eventually reaching a ledge, activating the golden lever close to it, watching it open the blue grate directly below before dropping down to the ground again, going forward and entering the first door to his right.

Link looked around briefly, then jumped across to the giant blue and gold cog, encountering another lizard, dispatching it the same way that he had the first before cleaning his blade, then entering the door on the far side of the room, turning to the right, killing a bat and collecting two blue rupees, finding a blue and silver chest that contained a small key, killing a second bat before going back through the cog room again.

When he left that room, he turned right, away from the blue grate that he had opened earlier, coming to a large boulder that was blocking the way ahead, blowing it up with a water bomb arrow quickly, killing the two Shellies in the corridor ahead before going through another door.

In the next chamber there was a big, green bug-like creature that stared at him and shrieked repeatedly, obviously nervous of his presence, watching it hop into a large bubble nearby to protect itself.

Link merely burst his bubble with a bomb-arrow, killing the creature with four strikes of his sword, cleaning the blade of it's slimy, sticky greenish-blood with a stronger cleaning spell, sheathing it before using his small key to get through the locked door ahead, tossing it into the pouch before continuing forward cautiously.

He found two blue rupees and one green one in pots at the far side of the room, then he went up the spiraling ramp at the front of the room, killing three blue water spiders on the way, finding a small gold chest containing water-bombs at the top, turning left from there, climbing a silver metal ladder on the stone archway that stood there, activating the golden lever at the top, opening a floodgate and watching water flow down the spiral ramp to fill the pool at the base, using the strong stream to carry him down on his bottom back to the lower level quickly, swimming over to the platform in the exact center of the water that he had noticed earlier, activating a second lever that opened another floodgate, following the water out the door that it flowed beneath now.

He hopped down into the water, following the shallow canal in the floor and killing two bats, collecting two blue rupees from nearby pots before slipping beneath the large turning waterwheel quickly, collecting a blue rupee and catching a fairy in a bottle, backtracking under the wheel before entering the room with the large cog again, seeing that it was turning now.

He jumped down to the room below again, riding the moving platforms over to the first of the doors that could only be reached that way, going through it and finding a small key in a long alcove to the right, then backtracking to go through the door just ahead, collecting three blue rupees, annoyed when he realized that he couldn't get through here, backtracking to the room with the cogs and riding over to the second door this time, going through quickly.

He first turned left, killing a Shellie when he encountered it, collecting two blue rupees at the end of the passageway before backtracking and unlocking the next door, tossing the key back into his endless pouch before going through, walking down a steep incline before reaching water, sighing softly as he removed his bow and quiver, then his tunic and boots, placing them in his endless pouch before, once again, donning the Zora armor, diving down into the water, careful to avoid the jellyfish, finding a red rupee and water bombs in two small side tunnels by using the iron boots, reaching a boulder that was blocking the way at the end of the large tunnel, blowing it to pieces with a water bomb before continuing, quickly avoiding a clam on the other side, then swimming up to where the tunnel finally surfaced into a large chamber full of knee-deep water, so he left his Zora armor on now rather then change back, stepping away from the hole, surprised when a lid slid over it quickly, closing it behind them, killing a strange little creature when it fell into the water from somewhere and attacked him, jumping a little, though he hadn't even known that he was nervous until then, when Midna popped up out of his shadow to speak to him in slightly hushed tones.

"I've got a baaad feeling about this… can't you feel it? Take a look around…"

She vanished back into his shadow, and Link looked up at the ceiling, as it was the only place that he hadn't looked yet, an absolutely horrified look crossing his upturned face as his lips parted on a soft gasp at seeing a gargantuan mutated frog clinging to the ceiling upside-down, drawing his blade quickly when she released the stalactite she was clinging to to fall down directly in front of him, killing some of her tiny tadpoles when she shook them off of her broad back and sent them to attack him in a vicious swarm, using a spin attack to speed up the process.

The frog jumped high then, coming crashing back down, obviously trying to crush him flat, but he managed to evade her attempt, slashing at her outstretched tongue quickly before she could recover to injure her, killing more of her babies when she sent them his way again.

She then tried to flatten him again, having as much success as she had had the first time, and he chopped at her tongue with his blade, then tossed a water bomb down her gasping maw when she roared in fury, slashing at her tongue again, watching her bellow in rage, thrashing and convulsing before she violently threw up her stomach, which contained a dark-blue and silver chest, then died and vanished quickly.

Link approached the chest, opening it and finding something inside called the clawshot, changing back to his normal clothes and boots and retrieving his bow and quiver of arrows from his pouch, strapping them back onto his shoulders before going to the far side of the room from the entrance, using the clawshot there to get up, opening a large blue gate and collecting three blue rupees from behind it before leaving the room through the door there quickly.

* * *

><p>When Link got back to the main circular room, he watched water flow into the room from the canals that he had opened, filling the huge pool below the long flight of stairs a little more.<p>

He went down the staircase and to the east side of the chamber, stopping at a door surrounded by blue and green mosaic stone, using his new clawshot to latch onto the red dot inside an ornate golden setting several feet in front of the door before the edge of the pool, watching the stairs rotate once more and the water flow down them, continuing on beneath the door behind him as he had predicted it would.

He followed the canal that the water had taken, killing a water spider and collecting a green rupee and health from the pots on either side of it before ducking under the turning waterwheel and entering the door ahead.

The next room contained two large, unmoving cogs, and he gathered more health and arrows from three pots to the left of the water canal, jumping onto the first of two small circular platforms attached to each of the cogs by thick chains, killing a bat when it attacked him before latching onto the nearest red dot with the clawshot, lowering himself down to the small circular platform of stone just beneath it carefully, definitely not wanting to fall, careful not to look over the edge and down into the abyss while he killed a second bat before opening the small golden chest there, finding yet more water bombs.

He then grappled onto the vines high up on a tall pillar to the east, climbing to the left quickly, relieved when he could drop down to safety onto a ledge of stone that was rather small for his peace of mind, grappling even higher up to the next pillar and climbing to the right, dropping down onto an even smaller ledge with another relieved sigh, grappling from there onto the vines straight ahead of him, climbing left to a much larger platform with a very secure, metal fence most of the way around it, entering the door there quickly.

He saw a dry water canal just in front of him, turning to the left, seeing a pair of strong water jets rising up from large cracks in the stone floor on either side of a blue-gray metal gate that was blocking the route through the canal, using a water bomb arrow to shoot down the stalactite just above the jet on the left, waiting until the spout calmed before climbing on and jumping to a small ledge when it went back up, jumping down over the wall from there and killing two blue water spiders to collect two green rupees, following the empty water canal until he reached a place where he had to use the clawshot to pull himself up to a high ledge, using another red dot before going through the door below it, emerging into the room where this section of the canal originated, then split into two paths, one through the door behind him, the other through a second door on the left side of the room.

There was a pair of the strange green creatures in bubbles, and when he stepped further into the room, they started up the same horrible shrieks of alarm that the first creature had, Link wincing slightly as the sharp, piercing sounds filled his sensitive pointed ears, blowing up their bubbles with bomb-arrows and dispatching them quickly, collecting a blue rupee, as well as a green rupee and health from two blue pots near either door.

Then he used the clawshot to latch onto the vines on the ceiling on the right side of the room, going as far as he could along them before letting go and dropping down onto the other side of the barrier.

At the far side of the room from the barrier was a jet of water with three pots near it, so he gathered two blue rupees and more health there before continuing along the path until he couldn't go any further because he reached a dead end, cutting open the three big wooden boxes there with his blade and finding nothing.

So he sheathed his sword and backtracked to the barrier, turning left and jumping into the water there, climbing up the vines and ascending the spiraling pathway, killing Shellies when he encountered them and grappling across the broken stone pathway using the red dots when necessary, finding and killing one last Shellie when he reached the top finally, as well as a small gold chest containing more water bombs, turning left and climbing up another silver metal ladder onto the top of another archway, activating a golden switch there to open another floodgate and let the water flow down the spiral path as far as it could, grappling up behind the small waterfall it formed using another red dot, discovering a blue and silver chest, opening it quickly to find the compass.

Then he rode the water pressure back down to the lower level of the room on his bottom, climbing out of the pool below quickly when he saw some dangerous looking fish with sharp teeth in the water, but he had to get to the second switch in the middle of the pool, so he jumped back into the water reluctantly, thankfully timing it right so that he was able to avoid being bitten, activating the switch so that the water could flow out the now open floodgate and exit the room, also somehow avoiding the creepy skeletal fish on the return journey across the water, grappling up to the vines on the ceiling again to get back over the barrier, taking the left door and grappling to a red dot on the ceiling to open the blue gate that blocked his way up ahead there, killing two blue water spiders and collecting two green rupees before continuing through the water canal where the gate had been.

Then Link encountered another green creature in front of the turning waterwheel there, bursting it's bubble and dispatching it quickly _before_ it could start screeching at him, going underneath the waterwheel, encountering another green bug-like thing on the other side, unfortunately not managing to kill it quickly enough to prevent it's shrieking, collecting a blue rupee, then a green rupee and more health from two nearby blue pots, killing some more of the enormous, moving, jelly-like things like he had encountered in the entrance to the Temple, and they kept dividing until he finally killed them all, opening a blue and silver chest in the middle of the canal, finding yet more water bombs inside.

There were iron bars in front of him that obviously weren't budging, so he backtracked under the waterwheel, finding more supplies and rupees in a group of pots that he had somehow missed earlier, then going through a door on his left that he had missed as well.

He found himself back in the room with the two big cogs, only now they were moving because of the water, and he managed to carefully grapple himself back to the door he had originally entered this room through, making his way back to the main circular room by going under the waterwheel, killing a blue water spider before he finally made it there through another door, watching yet more water flow into the huge pool below the long staircase.

Then he went back into the room with the large cogs that he had just come through, making his way to the door on the far side, killing three bats along the way and collecting more health from two blue pots before going into the next room.

He found more arrows, then more health at the far end of the platform from the door, both in pots, looking around the room before removing his belt and pulling his Zora-made armor out of his endless pouch, stripping down, putting his beloved bow and quiver of arrows, as well as his tunic and boots, inside the bottomless soft-leather pouch, standing there in his leggings and undershirt before he quickly donned the Zora armor, taking a little more time to strap first his sword's sheath back onto his back, then his shield, then fastened his belt back around his waist, making sure that all three were secure before diving down into the deep water all around the platform.

He used the iron boots to explore where he could, pulling them out of his pouch to put them on and take them off his feet when necessary, putting them back inside when they weren't needed, gathering rupees and more health while evading rampaging giant clams and buzzing jellyfish, as well as a constantly resurrecting bomb-fish, blowing up two boulders along the way to get where he needed to go, finally reaching the other side of the chamber and going through a door there, not bothering to change back into his forest-green tunic just yet, killing another green bug-like creature after blowing up it's bubble, collecting more health as well as three yellow rupees and one blue one from various pots around the room.

Then Link noticed an oddly-shaped, sunken grate in the floor, looking up at the ceiling, using the clawshot, grappling onto the red dot there to activate the switch and open the grate, lowering himself down cautiously until his rubbery flippered-feet found purchase on the small circular platform, hearing the grate close as soon as the clawshot released the pull-switch at his command, putting the clawshot away before opening the large black chest with the shining red jewel on it's lid to find the big key, jumping down into the water that surrounded him on all sides after putting on the iron boots again to sink to the bottom of the pool quickly, thankfully managing not to get bitten by any of those creepy, dead-looking fish before leaving the chamber, wincing as he got stung by one of the two jellyfish in the darker tunnel ahead, pulling out as many of the sharp, painful spines from his left leg as he could, knowing that they were poisonous.

* * *

><p>When Link, once again, made his way back to the main circular chamber, he jumped down into the pool below the main staircase, thankfully managing to avoid more of the icky dead-but-alive fish, climbing onto the middle platform, walking around it and locating the locked door.<p>

He unlocked the door and went inside, surprised at how _small_ the room was until he saw a hole in the middle of the floor in front of a pair of pots, collecting a fairy in his empty bottle from one of them so that he now held two of the helpful little winged-creatures in his endless pouch, gathering more health from the other pot, before jumping down into the hole reluctantly, but wanting to get this over with as fast as was possible without getting hurt, or, most definitely, killed.

He swam all the way to the bottom of the extremely deep pool of water, very grateful to Rutela for gifting him with the Zora armor, looking around cautiously for danger, finally landing inside a ring of eight stone pillars with the use of the iron boots after pulling them from his pouch and putting them on quickly, slightly puzzled when he saw a single electrified tentacle sticking up out of the white bed of fine sand at the bottom of the deep pool, gasping loudly as a big eyeball with a yellow iris and a red and black pupil slid up the inside of the clear tentacle to study him for a moment, then slid back down before more tentacles joined the first quickly, rising up out of the sand and waving about threateningly.

Overall, he was a little overwhelmed by the spectacle, but not overly worried because Midna popped up out of his shadow and suggested that he focus his attacks on the eyeball, which he did, fending off the bomb-fish that whatever the creature with the tentacles was regurgitated and sent after him while he did so, injuring the tentacles with the bomb-fish when they tried to grab him as well in between targeting the venerable eye.

He captured and struck the eye three times with his blade before the creature finally revealed it's true form, rising up out of the sand to reveal it's long, slightly eel-like body.

Link removed the iron boots and put them away into his endless pouch quickly, swimming up above the creature's as fast as he could to get out of range of his teeth, continuing to target the eyeball when Midna popped up to help him again by pointing out that the soft, fleshy orb had switched location and was now on the creature's back, just behind it's huge head, cursing when the brief conversation unfortunately allowed him to be distracted, being sucked in to the creature's putrid smelling mouth, immensely relieved , thanking the Three Goddesses when it spit him back out, seeming not to like his flavor on it's huge tongue as it then rampaged around the room and knocked over the pillars, after that using the iron boots to sink to the bottom quickly when necessary to avoid such attacks.

He finally managed to latch onto the eye, surprised when the clawshot pulled him down onto the monster's back instead of bringing the eye to him, but he managed to hold on, drawing his blade from it's sheath quickly, bringing it up and back with his sword-hand carefully, striking the exposed eye four times in rapid secession before the mutant serpent roared, howling in intense pain as it bucked him violently off it's back, sending him spinning through the water.

Once he got his bearings back after that, he targeted the eye again, latching onto the creature and stabbing it's eyeball four more times quickly, repeating the maneuver one more time before letting go of the creature when it headed for one of the walls, watching it from where he floated in the water above, wincing when it slammed into the wall head first, clearly delirious with pain, the damage that it caused draining the room of the vast majority of the water within it quickly, watching a heat container come out of it's huge head before it's body exploded and changed into the last Fused Shadow.

Link caught it in his shaking hands when it floated down to him after he had put the clawshot away into his endless pouch, his heart still pounding with adrenaline from the fight, and Midna popped back up out of his shadow to look at it quickly.

"There it is!-" she said happily, clapping her tiny, delicate hands. "-The last Fused Shadow…-"

She smiled at him, reaching out with her hair to take it from him carefully.

"-I'll just take that, thanks! Now, don't resent me for all I've put you through. I NEED this thing!-"

"_What_?" Link gasped, interrupting, staring at her in shock at her statement. "Why would you say that 'Dina? I could never resent you, you're my friend. And we're a team. At least, for now, anyway."

"Ermm.." Midna said, staring at the ground in embarrassment for a moment before looking back up directly into Link's brilliant blue eyes, speaking to him honestly. "Yes, Link, we're a team, and friends, helping each other help the worlds. Besides, we have to do something about Zant, the one who thinks he is the King of Shadows… His power is a false one… I'll prove it using these!-"

She put the Fused Shadow away and then kept talking to him quietly. "-So… I've done everything I needed to. I'm sorry for dragging you all over the place with me…-"

"_Midna_!" Link protested, really starting to get annoyed now with her downer, woe-is-me attitude that had come out of nowhere all of the sudden. "_Stop apologizing_! You know that I had to do all this stuff, too, to help the people of Hyrule, my people. The Goddesses Creation."

"Yes, I.. I know,-" she replied, floating a good distance away from Link before forming a Twilight-Portal on the white sandy bed with a wave of her hand and then turning back to look at him. "-So… Shall we go?"

Link nodded, collecting the heart container quickly, relieved when it restored his energy, healing his wounds and increasing his strength as the others had before, going over to her with a grateful smile, hugging her gently with both of his arms around her tiny, shapely waist for a long moment before pulling back to look her in the eye.

"Thank you, Midna, for your advice about the serpent. I'm very grateful, my friend."

"O-Of course, Link.." Midna stammered, blushing a little at his words, and the hug. "My friend. Want to go outside? Are you all done here?"

"Yes, 'Dina, I am. Let's go, please. I want to go back to Kakariko village and check on Ralis now."

* * *

><p>They reappeared together back at the spirit's spring above the surface of Lake Hylia, Link turning to go outside, gasping involuntarily when he saw a tall, imposing figure wearing dark armor, instantly feeling threatened by the cold aura that he exuded, his hand already reaching for the hilt of his sword.<p>

The spirit rose up quickly from the pool of water directly behind Link in defense of him, but they were both blasted backward by a concentrated surge of power from the figure, the spirit's broad, flat head striking the stone of the lip of it's own pool, the man taking the spirit's light and causing the Twilight to temporarily descend once more, while Link lay curled on the cool ground, still aware, but in too much pain to rise and get to his feet to go to Midna's aid when she yelled out the name of their enemy angrily from where she sat at Link's side, knowing that his body had changed back to that of the wolf once more.

"Zant!" Midna yelled defiantly, yelping softly in shock when the man took hold of her small, delicate body with his obviously strong, powerful mind, shoving her backward roughly to hover above the water of the pool, pinning her there securely with her arms spread on either side of her head, ignoring her dismayed gasp and panicked struggling to get free when he stole her three Fused Shadows that her and Link had collected together quickly before finally speaking to her.

"Did you honestly mean to take and ancient and withered power like this and turn it against me?-"

He vanished the Fused Shadows away into a hidden storage space formed from his power that Link guessed must have been similar to the one that Midna had been storing them in herself before he took them forcibly.

"-You are a foolish traitor, Midna. Why do you defy your King?"

Midna glared at Zant at his words, a look that Link knew he never, ever wanted to see directed his way, growling fiercely as she continued to struggle to get free of his hold on her.

"My KING? You, who do nothing but abuse the magic of your Tribe? You must be joking!"

"How dare you? Are you implying that my power is… our old magic? Now THAT is a joke!-"

Zant pulled her toward him roughly, flinging her down into the dirt at his feet.

"-This power is granted to me by my god! It is the magic of the King of Twilight, and you WILL respect it!-"

Zant drew on his power, about to strike Midna, and Link growled threateningly, finally forcing himself shakily to his paws, leaping up in front of her to take the blow himself instinctively in defense of his female friend, firmly believing that no man should _ever_ strike a woman, howling in agony as he felt a sharp, piercing pain in his forehead while he fell back to the ground, feeling Midna's tiny, gentle hands on his aching, furry brow as she tried to comfort him in vain.

Then Zant yanked her back to him with his mind, pinning her there close to his much larger body, saying quietly, "My Midna… Did you forget? Have you forgotten so quickly? That beast is one of the Light Dwellers who oppressed our people.-"

He looked at Link's mostly still form briefly before continuing to speak.

"No matter how much you may desire otherwise, you will never be more then a shadow in their world. You cannot consort with their kind! Cannot _Mate_ with them!-" he said, obviously falsely thinking that Midna's relationship with Link was more then friendship alone.

"-But if we can make their world ours, Midna… light and darkness will meet at last. Our Tribe will take back their Realm… and sweet darkness will blot out this harsh light! And that, Midna, is why…-" he said, lowering his cold voice to a soft, intimate whisper in her ear as the bottom of his dark helmet folded up and back to reveal his mouth, which was smirking cruelly and full of fangs, though Link didn't find them cute as he did Midna's, "-I need you. Not just for me, but for all of our people… Lend me your power, your support. Become _my_ Queen, dear Midna, as I have _always_ desired you to be. Bear my children for me. It is, after all, all that you are really any good for, your womb.-"

Midna hissed loudly at that, baring _her_ fangs at him, angry enough now to break free of his hold, returning to Link's side, her worry for him clear on her small face as she stroked his brow with a gentle hand.

"-So be it…-" Zant said loudly, his voice thunder-like as it boomed about the cavern with his obvious rage at her blatant rejection of him, for, in his twisted-mind anyway, another man, and one that she couldn't ever really be with completely at that, Link somehow sensing that this wasn't a new argument between the two Twilight Dwellers, but rather an old one that they had had many times before this.

His friend's deep dislike, and maybe even hatred for Zant was beginning to come together to make sense now.

"-I will return you to the light world you covet!"

Zant took hold of Midna once again, flinging her small body back out over the spring, using his power to take light from the spirit and pour it into Midna's fragile frame, obviously hurting her most grievously as she screamed, unable to prevent the sound from escaping despite her fierce pride.

But Lanayru yet defied Zant, despite it's injury by his hand, spiriting them both away from the spring to safety, speaking to Link's mind over the distance now between them.

"Link, Hero Chosen by the Goddesses… Go to the princess locked away in the castle. That princess holds the key that can unlock you from your shadow form…"

Link nodded, and the presence of the spirit slowly faded, retreating from his mind now as he set off for Castle Town quickly, very concerned for Midna as he listened to her severely labored breathing where she lay draped across his back where the spirit had laid her in her unconsciousness.

He ignored the monsters that he passed on the way, caring only about his friend's survival at this point, cursing the cold rain that poured down from the vast skies to soak them both, relieved when he finally reached the bridge that led to Castle Town.

Once he got into town, he headed straight for Telma's bar, remembering what she had told him in Kakariko village about there being a secret, hidden passage into the Castle from there, ignoring the people that screamed when they saw them, trying to enter the bar through the open front door, hurt, but not really surprised when Telma forced him back out the door roughly, saying, "Beast! Get out!" then slammed it shut in his face.

After all, she didn't know that it was he.

He returned to the bar's small courtyard, uncertain what to do or where to go, only knowing that Midna needed him to get her to the princess, extremely grateful when Telma's cat called to him, coming to their aid.

"You there!-" the large, beautiful white cat said, leaping out of a window high above and down some wood boxes to reach his level quickly. "-You're Link, correct?-" she walked daintily over to him when he nodded in reply, sniffing delicately at his wet paws for a moment before looking up at his dripping face.

"-Mmm, yes, I thought so. I could just tell, you know. I'm Louise. Do you remember meeting me in this shop before? Though I don't think we were properly introduced… In any case, I must tell you, I'm a bit puzzled as to why you look like that. Really, dear, you can't blame the humans for tossing you out, the way you look.-"

Link nodded quickly in agreement, but his blue eyes were wide and frantic as he tossed his cold muzzle, gesturing to where Midna lay on his back.

"-Oh… Another patient?-" Louise said in surprise. "-You certainly are a curious sort…"

"…Plea… Please…-" Midna panted, clearly struggling greatly just to speak a few words to the cat. "-Princess… Z-Zelda…"

The cat's eyes widened, and she nodded, turning back to the window, saying, "This way!-"

She looked up at the open window before continuing to speak.

"-Here, get in through the window. The attic is connected to the Castle's waterway. It's an old waterway, though…so it could be a rough trip. Well… I suppose all that's left to do is make sure that the humans don't notice you."

Link nodded to the cat, Louise, very grateful for her assistance, pushing a nearby wooden box over to the others, climbing up onto them and going inside, relieved to be out of the rain now, knowing that the cold and wet was probably not helping Midna's condition any.

He crept cautiously along the first rope, going as fast as he could without falling, eavesdropping on a goron down below him in the bar.

"The elder told me to escort Telma,-" he rumbled to himself quietly. "-But… This city air does not suit my skin…"

The goron threw up his large hands in obvious exasperation, and Link continued onto the second rope carefully, listening next to Telma speaking to herself where she stood behind her bar directly below him.

"How's it come to this, huh? Monsters walking in the streets of town… What in the WORLD are the soldiers of Hyrule doing? The gorons are so much more reliable then they are, it's not even funny!"

Link rolled his brilliant-blue eyes with obvious disdain for the Hyrulian soldiers, though he knew that they were only scared, and he didn't, couldn't really blame them for that, considering he was as well, heading for the third and final rope, careful not to alert those below to his presence by knocking into any of the numerous pots there, listening to a group of three humans gathered around the wooden table below them in the far back room in the bar, two men and a woman.

"I heard that an acquaintance of Telma's defeated the beast that had been attacking tourists on the bridge.-" the older man said quietly. "-His name was Link… Like the Hero of Old. It sounds as though he brought Telma and her young ward to Kakariko village."

"And here I was, thinking Hyrule was empty of men of valor…" the woman said seriously.

"Oh, no,-" the younger, handsome, alabaster-skinned, red-headed man said to the other two quickly. "-I don't believe he's from Hyrule proper at all. No, my understanding is that he's from the small neighboring province of Ordona. This may sound horrible elitist…but people who do not know the city simply do not know fear."

Link shook his head slowly at how wrong the man was about him.

He definitely knew fear, many fears; actually, he just absolutely refused to let them stop him from doing what he needed to do.

What was right.

For him, and for all of Hyrule.

He continued to the far side of the rope, entering another dark stone tunnel there after climbing up to it, surprised when he jumped down to land within a large room that was buried in places with a ridiculous amount of golden coins and treasure, seeing also part of the room was flooded with water, approaching what looked to be a life-sized golden statue of a man sitting on a huge red-leather chair, startled when he spoke.

"H-Hey!-" he stammered fearfully. "-Where did that ghost come from? H-Hey you! Don't just stand there! Get that ghost!-"

Link rolled his eyes once again at his rude, commanding tone, wondering if it would have killed the man to throw a 'please' in there somewhere, but he used his senses to reveal the ghost, stunning it before ripping it's corporal body apart to drive it away, keeping the piece that would have allowed it to return here, feeling it get sucked into his endless pouch, going back up to the man on the chair quickly.

"-Oh…-" he said, seeming surprised that he had managed to do what he had asked of him. "-Th-Thanks for beating the ghost. Can I call you… doggie?-"

Link nodded in reply, even though his form was clearly that of a wolf, not a dog.

"-I'm Jovani. I… became consumed by greed long ago, and sold my soul to a dark creature that did this to me… I can't move… I can't go see my girlfriend… My pet can Gengle is frozen on my head… I don't think I could be more miserable… I have to ask you a favor, doggie… Can you find and defeat the twenty ghosts that lurk in the dark for me? I think if you can free the pieces of my soul from the ghosts that hold them, I'll be free… Oh, but it's raining out now, so I don't think you can go outside directly. I'll open the door to the underground waterway for you…-"

Link watched as the lid rose up on the nearby red and gold treasure chest to let him out of this room.

"-Once the rain stops, you can come back in here by digging around the front wall where the cats gather… understand, doggie?"

Link nodded again, ten turned away from him to jump down the hole, sliding down a slanted tunnel full of running water quickly before killing all the giant rats that were swimming in the shallow water around them, grabbing onto a metal silver handle with his strong jaws to open a flood-gate, sliding down another dam tunnel, the water flow pushing him out into a deep pool in another, larger underground chamber.

He climbed out quickly, shaking as much of the water as he could off of them both without dislodging Midna from his back before continuing forward up two flights of stone stairs, confronting and killing two giant spiders, then burning away the thick webs that blocked their progress gleefully with a stick that he found on the floor near some skulls on the left side of the stairs after lighting it's tip on the wall-torch there, using it to light three stone floor-torches in the next chamber, setting it down to kill three bats when they attacked them, then picking it up again and relighting it on one of the torches, using it again to burn away more webs to get into the chamber to the right of this one, climbing carefully up the two broken and uneven steps to get to the stone passageway that led to it, mindful of Midna where she lay draped across his back as he leapt down into the next chamber cautiously.

He dropped his stick to kill four more bats when they attacked them, then again to take out a single goblin on the far side of the room before picking it up again and going through a big tunnel to the left of where the goblin had been, killing another in the small round chamber that it led to, leaving his stick behind there since he had to dig in order to go forward any further.

He emerged in a small pool of water, going forward and then to the left, finding himself in a familiar place below the castle, killing two nearby rats before turning right and going up the stone spiral stairway, killing five goblins on the way up, as well as one at the top, along with three bats, walking along the ropes to get there since Midna was definitely not in any shape to help him over the broken, crumbling gaps in the stairway, going through an open wood-and-metal door there to emerge outside onto the very top of the castle and back into the pouring rain.

He killed two goblins and a large bird along the way, crossing over a broken wooden bridge when the strong winds blew the broken end up within his reach, relived when he made it to the other side before the wind stopped, jumping down onto the large, blue-tiled roof that led to the tower where the Princess Zelda was being held prisoner, killing a large bird that was there standing guard on the flat ridgepole before finally entering through the window, thankfully out of the rain once again as he jumped down off the windowsill and ascended the spiral staircase that led to the princess's chambers quickly, going through the partially open double doors there.

He didn't see Zelda when he entered, very concerned for Midna when she fell off his back to land on the stone floor weakly, turning to look at her just in time to see the princess's hand reach out to touch his friend's face gently in worry.

"Please…-" Midna panted to her softly, the effort to speak obviously costing her much of her remaining strength as she swallowed painfully.

"-Please tell me… How do we break… the curse on this one?-"

Midna gestured weakly at Link in explanation with one tiny, shaking hand, which Zelda took hold of with both of hers carefully; obviously sensing how frail Midna was because of her injury.

"-This… is the one…-" Midna struggled to continue to speak. "-You need him… to save your world! That's why… Princess… Please… You must help Link…"

Zelda nodded, lifting her right hand, the Triforce Symbol on the back of it glowing through her elbow-length, thin white glove, but nothing happened, and she lowered it back down slowly before speaking to them quietly.

"What binds him is a different magic then what transformed him when he first passed the Curtain of Twilight. It is an evil power. Our world is one of balance. Just as there is light to drive away darkness, so, too, is there benevolence to banish evil. Head for the Sacred Grove that lies deep within the lands guarded by the spirit Faron. There you will find the blade of evil's bane that was crafted by the wisdom of the ancient Sages… the _Master Sword_. The Master Sword is a Sacred blade that evil can never touch. Evil cloaks you like a dark veil… and that blade is the only thing that can cleave it. Link… Hero sent by the Goddesses… Like you, I have been granted special powers by the Goddesses…"

The princess showed him the symbol on the back of her hand, then Midna spoke to him, her voice weaker already in the short time since she had last spoken.

"Fine… Link… You can… You can get to the woods… on your own, right? Princess… I have one last request… Can you tell him… Where to find the Mirror of Twilight?"

Zelda gasped at Midna's just barely audible words, her blue eyes going round and large before she spoke to her quietly.

"Midna… I believe I understand now just who and what you are… Despite your mortal injuries, you act in our stead… These dark times are the result of our deeds, yet it is you who have reaped the penalty. Accept this now, Midna. I pass it to you…"

Princess Zelda closed her eyes then, concentrating as she gave up her powers, her protection, to Midna, pouring them into her small body slowly, causing her to glow briefly with the healing light of the Goddess-Power, Midna yelling once she realized what the other female was doing.

"No! Link! STOP HER!-"

The princess vanished once Midna's tiny hand slipped out of both of hers while she rose into the air with the power that Zelda Bestowed upon her, floating down to stand at Link's side with a slightly pained grimace twisting her features for a moment before she spoke fiercely.

"-We go back, Link! Back to Faron Woods!-"

Midna flipped over backwards abruptly, landing on top of Link's back before continuing to speak, more to herself then to him now.

"-Zelda… I've taken all that you had to give… though I did not want it."

Midna took them back to the field just outside of Castle Town, the two of them watching in horror as the castle was surrounded by a vast, dark golden magical-barrier that would prevent any one that the creator of it didn't wish to see from going inside of it, Midna glaring up at it fiercely, baring her small fangs as her tiny right hand formed a fist where it rested on her own bare, right thigh, while Link growled in displeasure, but then they turned away from the awful sight to go, and Link turned his head back to smile at her where she perched on his back, letting her know that, regardless of how it had been accomplished, he was relieved that she was okay now, and she smiled back at him silently, revealing one tiny fang briefly.


	15. Chapter 15 The Desert Temple

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**fatetinhour, darkyami1214, Blackbird Sandwich, kagemoonlight  
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**Author's Note: I'm sorry for the long wait for this, but, when you've finished reading it, you'll understand why it took so long. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it, 'cause this was a big pain in my butt to do. Lol. But, it's sooo worth it! I can't wait until I'm finished with it, so that _I_ can read the entire story in one go! :) Then, eventually, I'll have to start work on the sequel.. O'o he, he, he.. :)**

**Does anyone else think that the storyline of this game just _begs_ for Link and Ralis to be together?..I mean, some of the things that Ralis says to him.. Wow. O'o Lol. Well, it makes me happy, anyway! And I think you guys like it, too! :)**

**Also, I received a complaint in a review about how "cold" Link is toward Ilia, and that he is too strict about getting down to business on his mission, so, I will be trying to soften him in this chapter, and in later ones, eventually explaining why he is so wary of Ilia, and, of course, there will be more of him and Ralis now, not just Link doing his "Hero Thing". :)**

**And, yes, I know that Renado _did_ tell Ralis about his mother's death, but, I thought that it must have been hard for him to do, so, what if he didn't get around to it before Link's return? Then Link would have to tell his poor Prince of his mother's departure from this world..**

**Anyway, enough from me. Enjoy the chapter, and, please, tell me what you think! :)  
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**~Sweet-Hearted SilverEars~**

**Chapter 15 Rescuing Rosie **or** The Little Forest Boy With A Horn **or** Finding The Master Sword, Lifting Zant's Curse **or** Back To Kakariko, Opening Up To Ilia Again Cautiously **or** Serious Discussion With The Zora Prince **or** Meeting Telma's Friends **or** Finding Auru **or** Into The Desert **or** Bridging The Divide **or** Naps In The Desert **or** More Sword Skills Learned **or** Finding More Ghosts, Discovering The Coliseum **or** The Desert Temple **or** The Mirror Chamber, The Mirror Is Broken **or** Ganondorf Lives **or** Zant's God And Master Revealed**

As much as Link wanted to, and he wanted to very badly, he knew that he could not return to Kakariko village, not like this.

Even if he could have gotten near Ralis, he could not touch him this way, not in this form, not really.

So, he had to go back to Faron Woods in order to lift the curse that Zant had placed upon him.

He set off down the path that would lead them directly away from Castle Town, not to the right of it, killing a goblin there before continuing onto the path that led to the long bridge that spanned Lake Hylia, killing a second goblin before turning to the left at the fork there since the right path was still blocked by the fallen boulders, killing a pair of crows before taking the path to the left at the next fork as well, finally reaching the massive stone bridge.

He crossed over it, killing two more goblins and a large group of crows before reaching the other side, killing four more of the jelly-blob things like in the Zora's Temple as they proceeded along a short stone canyon, then crossed a wooden bridge, going to the left since it was the only option available to them at that point in the path's trajectory.

Goblin's shot flaming arrows down at them on the path ahead, but they were ignored by him as they had terrible aim, and, he couldn't reach them anyway as they were stationed high up on the surrounding stone cliffs.

He took the path to the left at the next form after finding health, rupees and supplies on the right path since all it did was loop around the large stone boulder that divided them to rejoin the left path quickly, crossing through an open gate made of wood and metal before proceeding at a fast run across the vastness of Hyrule field ahead of them.

He killed more monsters, goblins and birds then he could count, collecting health and rupees, finally finding the stone bridge that would, eventually, lead him back to Ordon, finding and dispatching one of the ghosts for Jovani on a nearby outcropping of land, using his wolf's senses to collect the rupees that were buried there before crossing the bridge.

By now it was dark out as he followed the path that led to Ordon, killing yet another goblin before entering Faron Woods, walking through Coro's clearing, seeing the man yet sitting beside his unlit fire, moving to sniff at him curiously as it seemed to be the wolf-like thing to do, nudging the man awake by pushing his muzzle against his chest gently, causing him to yawn and sit up straighter, stretching his arms behind his head before he spoke quietly, obviously still sleepy as he rubbed at his eyes for a moment while looking at Link in confusion.

"Huh… Um… A wolf? Am I dreaming?-"

Link shook his head in wordless reply, panting softly as he looked back at the man steadily.

"-Say,-" Coro continued after a moment. "-you seem to like people… But I bet even a good pup like you gets the evil eye from people just 'cause you're a wolf. But me, I'm not worried about you, little guy. My older sister is much scarier then you."

Link actually snickered at that, seeing surprise cross Coro's face, licking the back of the man's right hand impulsively before turning away to continued deeper into Faron Woods, turning his head back for a moment at the edge of the clearing when Coro called to him softly.

"Hey! Wolf… Come back and see me again sometime?.. It gets a little.. Well, _lonely_ living out here all by yourself sometimes.."

Link nodded his furry head, making a soft, reassuring bark-like sound in reply before turning his face away again to venture back into the depths of the forest when Coro lifted his hand toward him, the man surrounded by his bird friends even at night as he waved goodbye to him.

* * *

><p>Link proceeded along the still torch-lit tunnels, killing numerous creatures along the way when they attacked them, collecting rupees as well before exiting out the other side of the tunnels.<p>

He crossed over the purple, hissing acid mist with Midna's help, dispatching another ghost along the way where it was lurking inside the huge fallen hollowed-out tree before they kept going forward, crossing the rest of the large lake of deadly mist before reaching the other side safely.

He went through the still-open gate just ahead, coming out into the clearing where the bridge had been hidden before Midna and he had returned it to where it belonged, going into the next, larger clearing quickly, passing the funny talking bird with the large blue head that was a sales-bird, gasping loudly in concern when he saw Rosie the monkey suddenly appear, clearly afraid as she ran from something, not managing to get to him before these strange-looking wooden men appeared, obviously following her, surrounding her slight, cowering form in a circle, tormenting her cruelly.

Link stepped closer to them quickly, growling viciously at them on behalf of his friend, smiling, revealing his sharp, gleaming white fangs when they turned to him now, howling in triumph when he had killed the four of them, stopping, cutting the sound off abruptly when he realized that he was frightening Rosie.

"Did… Did you save me?-" the female monkey spoke up timidly, readjusting the deep-pink flower in the soft gray fur on top of her head before continuing to speak to him. "-Th-Thank you!"

Link nodded, speaking to her in the universal animal language so that she would be able to understand him.

"You are very welcome. Rosie, it's me, Link."

"_Link_?" she squeaked in surprise, running over to hug him around the neck quickly, pulling back to stare at his canine countenance with a wide smile on her small furry face. **(Who else thinks this hug is so fan-art material?.. Soo cute! I can almost picture it! :))**

"It _is_ you! I'd know those eyes anywhere. Oh, I'm so glad that you're alright! We all wondered what had become of you, even Tom. He's all better now, back to his usual self, thanks to you, Link. Actually, he chose me to be his Mate! Isn't it wonderful? Soon, I'm sure that we'll have a little monkeyling to love. I'm so happy! And we owe it all to you! Our safety, our home in the Temple. The security of knowing that we are safe now to raise young ones in peace! Thank you, so much, Link, really, we owe you everything that we have now."

"I'm glad that you're all happy and safe, Rosie," Link said truthfully, feeling uncomfortable with all her praise of him.

"So am I! Oh, um… Listen, let me tell you something else, too! There's a really pretty wooded area on the other side of this cliff! I climbed over there, but when I tried to get deeper into the woods, THOSE guys attacked me! I wonder what's in those woods anyway? Maybe it's something that you could use, Link! You should go on over and check it out. You and your friend there."

"Oh.. Um, Rosie, this is Midna," he said, introducing the two females. "She was here with me before, but you couldn't see her then because she was hidden in my shadow."

"Oh. Well, hello, Midna," Rosie squeaked. "You're very pretty, you know."

"Thank you, Rosie," Midna replied, rather smugly in Link's opinion. "You're not so bad looking yourself, for a monkey."

"Thanks. Well, don't be a stranger, Link, you hear me? Both of you come back and visit us all real soon, okay?"

"I'll return as soon as I can, yes," Link promised her. "Thank you, Rosie."

She nodded, watching Link and Midna continue on their way before returning home to the depths of the Forest Temple, Tom, and her family to tell them all the good news about Link.

* * *

><p>"So there's another section of forest beyond this cliff.-" Midna said from where she sat on Link's back as they looked where Rosie had directed them to go. "-All right, Link, let's go!"<p>

The two of them crossed the wide expanse to get to solid ground on the other side, and Link quickly killed two bats in the tunnel when they attacked them, crossing two wooden rotating bridges, then two swinging ropes while carefully avoiding the two swinging logs that were there, surprised to find a singing-stone when he reached the other side.

He approached the stone, sitting down on his haunches in front of it, singing along with the familiar tune to call the golden wolf to him, singing with him happily, feeling his heart lift with the joy of their song, then they both fell silent, and the wolf spoke to him now.

"Let teachings of old pass to you… Take sword in hand and find me…"

Link woke up back next to the stone, seeing the mark of the shining wolf on his map in his mind to let him know where to meet with him again, then he continued through the large, dark tunnel ahead and emerged into a beautiful, sunlight-dappled clearing just as Rosie had told them.

There was a lovely melody coming from somewhere, and Link found himself humming along with it unconsciously.

Then he found another singing-stone, listening to it's melody curiously before singing along with it, confused when a young boy dropped down to the ground from the tree above, giggling before blowing on a horn, calling more of the wooden men that had attacked Rosie down upon Link before running away through a passage that had previously not been there.

Link dispatched the wooden puppet men before following after the boy quickly.

He chased the child all through the woods, since apparently the little brat wanted to play hide and seek, following the sound of his beautiful music, all the while evading the wooden men when the boy called them with his horn.

Eventually the kid led him through a stone tunnel, through another patch of beautiful sun-dappled forest, then into a stone courtyard that looked liked it had been a structure of some kind, perhaps a temple to the Goddesses, before the roof had been broken somehow and collapsed inward, leaving many large, rough stone slabs throughout the clearing.

When Link jumped down into the clearing, the boy looked angry, his red eyes glaring at them as he stomped his feet and growled like an angry child, which he was, blowing on his horn to call down more of the wooden men, giggling before vanishing, only to reappear on a different stone platform quickly.

Link chased the little brat around the courtyard while fighting off the child's numerous minions, only to have him vanish into this air for good this time after calling out to them mockingly, "Hee hee hee! …'Bye!"

Another passageway ahead opened, and Link took it, emerging into a large sun-dappled courtyard.

He noticed a large Triforce insignia on the ground in front of a pair of stone statues, stepping forward onto the symbol and howling the song that the stone with the same design had taught him, surprised when the grass suddenly divided into squares with black, empty nothingness beneath them, watching the statues come to life, one moving directly in front of him, the other behind, before they began to speak in the low, rumbling tones of an ancient mountain, if mountains spoke, that is.

"We are guardians of this land… Guide us to where we once stood. Only then can you enter the true Sacred Grove…"

Link nodded, looking around at the blocks, using his keen wits to figure out Their puzzle, jumping first left, then down, then right, right again, then up, left, up, up again, left, down, down again, right, and finally, up, placing the statues back in their places and opening a large stone gate with the Triforce insignia on it's smooth surface, listening to the statues speaking again.

"Go now to the scared place, beast… We yield passage to the sacred grove…"

The ground returned to normal, and Link passed between the two statues to walk up a small flight of steps and through the open gate, then up a larger flight quickly, seeing a stone platform that contained a sword in the distance of the large misty courtyard, admiring how a large shaft of sunlight shown down directly onto the blade as he approached it slowly, reverently.

The blade was beautiful up close, shining with a bright, holy inner light, blasting Midna back and off his back strongly, and Link felt a sharp, piercing pain as Zant's evil magic was expelled from his forehead by the sword, Midna catching it quickly as it was tossed away from the sword's presence behind him, feeling his body return to it's True-Form.

Something deep inside of him rose up to guide him then as he reached out unthinkingly to take hold of the hilt of the blade, feeling a pleasant, almost soothing tingling sensation travel up his arm, then from there into his whole body, somehow instinctively knowing that the sword was testing him, the goodness of his heart, feeling it _pulse_ with energy under his hand as it came free of it's stone for him, lifting it up by the hilt securely, holding the sword straight up as he lifted it above his head, watching in awe as the blade sent out a short burst of Devine-Magic, chasing the mist away from it's clearing dramatically.

"The sword accepted you as its master…-" Midna said, her eye wide, a stunned look on her small face as she stared at him almost as though she were in awe of him.

Link lowered the sword from where he held it high, swinging it a few times to test it's strength, and the edge was keen as it sliced through the air with a whistling sound, still strong and sharp after all the years that it had been hidden within this Sacred Grove, Midna popping up beside him to continued speaking quietly, holding up the thing that had been placed inside Link by Zant above her hand with her magic so that she wouldn't have to touch it.

"-This thing is the embodiment of the evil magic that Zant cast on you. It's definitely different from our tribe's shadow magic…-" she stated, looking at the thing suspiciously though narrow eye. "-Careful…-" she said when she saw Link looking at it curiously. "-If you touch it, you'll turn back into a beast!-" she vanished it with her magic then before continuing to speak.

"-This thing is too dangerous… It's probably for the best if we just leave it here, huh? But on the other hand… if we keep it, you'd be able to transform into a beast anytime you wanted… Yes, since Zant was kind enough to give this to us, we should be thankful and use it all we can!-"

Midna smirked smugly, revealing a single fang as she did so.

"-If you need it, just call me. I want to keep a low profile, so I'll hide in your shadow when you're human, but I can change you whenever. You can be a wolf anytime you like! Also, thanks to this thing, you can warp whenever you want by switching into wolf form…-"

Midna hovered closer to him, laying her tiny hands on his shoulder where she floated behind him now before continuing to speak softer now.

"-Hey, but listen, Link… I've got a little favor to ask… Would you mind coming with me to find something called the Mirror of Twilight? It's hidden somewhere in Hyrule… Yes, the Mirror of Twilight… Our last potential link to Zant!"

Link nodded in reply, smiling at her reassuringly before he spoke quietly.

"Yes, I will go with you, Midna. You haven't steered me wrong yet, so, I trust you."

Midna nodded, smiling sheepishly before vanishing back into his shadow.

Link removed the Ordon Sword that Rusl had made for him from his back, taking it off sheath and all, placing it inside his endless pouch carefully after taking off his shield and quiver of arrows to get to the strap that held it on his shoulders, picking up the long dark-blue and gold sheath that had appeared next to the stone while they had been talking, sheathing the shining blade of the Master Sword within it before strapping it onto his back securely, a soft gasp escaping his lips, reeling on his feet a little as a vision suddenly filled his mind, so strong that he thought that it might be a memory of his past, the one that he had forgotten, playing out in a flash before his bright blue eyes.

He saw himself as a small boy, lying in a small, soft bed made of wood, listening to the sounds in the next room as his parents made love together, the vision ending quickly when his child-self fell asleep listening to the comforting sounds.

Link shuddered, shaking off the memory for now as he put his quiver back on his shoulders, followed by his shield, storing it in his mind until he had more time to ponder it's meaning, leaving the Scared Grove quickly, intent on returning to the side of the one that he loved.

* * *

><p>He first went back to the Arena where the little boy had vanished from, blowing up the large boulder there in the middle, freeing one of Jovani's ghosts, requesting that Midna make him a wolf again so that he could tear it apart and retrieve it's stolen soul, driving it away quickly before requesting that Midna warp him to Kakariko Village, having her transform him back to his human form when they arrived so that he could go and check on Ralis, thanking her with a smile before she slipped back into his shadow as he headed up the street to the Inn.<p>

Link was surprised to see Beth standing by the fork in the path that led to the graveyard; so, he spoke to her, as she looked almost worried.

"I thought that Zora boy had gotten better, but he's been really depressed lately… He doesen't try to make friends with anyone, and everyday he just gets up and goes straight to the graveyard! It's really weird!"

"I'm sure that he has a reason, Beth," Link said sternly. "You shouldn't judge him so. He's been grievously hurt, and most likely just needs some time to recover. You should try and be understanding of his pain. I'll talk to him, though, try to help him as best I can, Okay? Just give him time and space. I'm sure he'll come around."

"Okay. I hope that you can make him happier at least, Link."

"I'll do what I can."

Beth nodded, and Link left her there to continue on to the Inn, wanting to find out as much about Ralis's recovery, and his depression, as he could before he went to the boy.

"Oh, Link!-" Colin said in surprise when he saw him enter the Inn, smiling at his friend briefly. "-I heard from Renado that Ilia might be able to get her memory back! Yeah! AND the Zora boy opened his eyes!"

"That's very good news, Colin, thank you for telling me."

"Yeah, I thought those were both pretty good things, but Ilia and the Zora boy seem pretty sad still."

"I'm going to speak with Ralis, Colin," Link said, avoiding mentioning the whole Ilia issue. "Everything will be well. Trust me."

"I do, Link."

"Link…-" Luda, Renado's young daughter spoke up now. "-The Zora child has opened his eyes and is up and about! But… All he does is go to the graveyard behind the Sanctuary and pray… All day, from morning until night, he prays…"

"I'll handle it, Luda, I promise."

"Oh, good. Thank you, Link."

He nodded to them both, exiting the Inn and heading back in the direction that he had come, passing Beth again with a reassuring smile before entering the Sanctuary to speak with Renado about Ralis.

"Greetings, Link,-" the Shaman said to him softly. "-I felt Ilia could use a change of scenery to improve her health, so we came here. Who knows? If she gets out and sees daily life, perhaps something will jog her memory… Link, perhaps you could keep her in your thoughts?"

"I will," he said, his blue eyes honest. "I'll do what I can to help her if you ever need me to do anything. Renado, what is your professional opinion on Ralis's health, mental and otherwise?"

"He is well physically, Link, but… He is very sad… Perhaps a visit from you would cheer him up a bit?.."

"That's what I'm hoping for."

Renado nodded and smiled at him, and Link smiled back before turning to Ilia reluctantly.

"Oh, Link…-" she said, lifting her head up from where she had been staring at the ground when he approached her. "-You have gone through so much trouble for me… I'm so sorry… Colin and the others have told me so much about you, Link. They tell me that you are brave and kind, and that you herd very well… That means you must be a good rider, huh? Oh, and the name of your horse is… Epona, right? Epona!-" Ilia gasped suddenly, making Link nearly jump out of his skin at the look on her face as she said the name. "-What a lovely name!"

Link nodded, drawing a deep breath into his lungs, relaxing again as he let it out on the exhale slowly, relieved that she hadn't remembered him yet, knowing that his life would become much more difficult when she did recall all that she had forgotten.

"Don't worry about it, 'Lia.." he said softly, his voice cautious, uncertain and venerable for the first time in a long time as he spoke to her.

"-Perhaps.. Perhaps this is a chance for us to get to know each other again?.. We were friends, once. Close friends. This misfortune could be an opportunity for us to find that Bond again?.. I would.. I would like that, very much."

Ilia smiled, her face lighting up from within, just like it had when she had been an innocent child.

"I would like that, Link."

Link nodded, hugging her gently for a moment, releasing her with a hesitant smile before turning to go after she smiled back, leaving the Sanctuary to head to the graveyard, weaving in and out of the tombstones quickly, climbing up the stone steps at the very back of the graveyard, killing another nest of crows when they attacked him, then he took a deep breath before entering the tunnel, futilely trying to calm his racing heart.

* * *

><p>When he reached the other side of the tunnel and stood up to look around, he saw Ralis kneeling by his parent's grave across the expanse of calm, shining water.<p>

Link sighed softly, stripping off his shield, quiver of arrows, his new sword, and his belt and boots for the swim across, lowering himself down into the water slowly after stripping down to his under shirt and pants, swimming across as quietly a he could so as not to disturb Ralis's prays until he absolutely had to, climbing out of the cool water and waiting patiently for the Zora boy's acknowledgement.

After several moments, Ralis eventually sensed his presence, opening his beautiful sea-green eyes so that Link could look into their shining depths for the first time in the real world, though the experience was marred somewhat by the fact that the Prince's eyes were full of tears, the same ones that flowed down his soft cheeks unceasingly as he stood up from where he was kneeling to look up at Link's face because of the few inches that Link had over his height, his pretty mouth hanging open for a moment or two before he spoke softly in inquiry.

"Is… Is your name Link?"

"Yes, I am he," he replied, trying to disguise the fact that his heart was in his throat as he heard the boy that he loved speak for the first time as well.

"My mother came to me in a dream…-" Ralis said, turning his tear-stained face away for a moment as a soft, pink blush graced his delicate features. "-She showed me your image.-" Ralis looked back at him now with a small, hesitant smile. "-She spoke of a youth who would save our domain and steer my fate. One named Link. I must thank you for all you've done. If there is anything I can ever do for you, please tell me. Please…"

"What is it, Ralis?.." he asked him with soft, tender blue eyes.

"Link… I have so little confidence… What can I do? I could not even carry out one simple task for my mother… I am so unlike her… I doubt I am even qualified to rule…"

"_Don't say that_!" Link said sharply in instinctive response to defend the one he loved, even from himself, softening his voice again when Ralis's eyes snapped up to his in surprise at his sudden change of vocal tones and demeanor.

"You will become a great leader one day, Ralis. _Trust me_."

"I.. I don't know, Link.."

"Then answer me this. Was your mother upset with you because of what happened?"

"I- No," the boy replied, realization dawning in his eyes slowly as he thought back to his dream.

"She wasn't.. angry, she was.. concerned for me.. because I was hurt.."

"See? Your mother loves you without end, Ralis. She told me that herself, had me promise that I would tell you so."

"_You saw her_?" Ralis asked in astonishment, his tears vanishing with his excitement. "-When? Where is she? What else did she say to you?"

"She.. came to me and asked me to save you, and in return she Gifted me with the Zora Armour that your father made for the Hero of Old. She also said that you were not to grieve for her for long…"

"Why would I grieve?.." the boy asked in wide-eyed puzzlement, and Link silently cursed when he realized that Renado had not told the boy of his mother's fate.

"Ralis.. Your mother.. She… She's gone."

"Gone?.. Gone where? Why didn't she take me with her?.."

"No, Ralis, I.. I meant, she's dead.. I'm so sorry.."

"_What_? _Dead_?.. _No_! She _can't _be _dead_! _I need her_! I need _my mother_! _She's all that I have left_!"

Ralis turned away from him, about to jump into the water, and Link mentally cursed because he didn't have the Zora Armour that would have allowed him to follow him as it was in his endless pouch on the other side of the cavern, leaping forward to catch the small boy quickly, scooping him into his arms to cradle his slight form against his chest despite Ralis's struggles to get away from him and into the water, flailing and flopping around in his arms like a terrified landed fish in a net as he squirmed and fought the surprisingly strong blonde human male.

"_Let me go, Link_!" Ralis shrieked like a wild-thing as he thrashed in his hold, helpless to escape him. "_Let me go_!"

"_No_!" Link grunted in reply, struggling to hold onto the frantic, emotionally wounded child that had been brought to the surface by the news of his mother's departure from this world. "_No_,_ Ralis_, _I'll not let you go_! _Not while you yet need me_!"

Ralis continued to shriek and try to escape him, so, Link did the only thing that he could think of to calm him, even if it only worked temporarily so that he could get a better grip on the boy.

Quickly, faster then Ralis could hope to avoid even with the thrashing, since Link drew on the Gift of the Goddess Power to grant him speed in his endeavor, he lowered his head, his aim Divinely True as he planted his lips against Ralis's own gently.

The boy froze instantly in his hold in response, a soft sound of shock escaping him at Link's actions, going limp in his arms as all the fight drained out of him so that Link had to sink down to one knee as his weight increased suddenly, holding the boy close now to his body since Ralis no longer fought him.

So far, so good, Link thought to himself, shifting his lips on Ralis's, making it more then just a mashing of lips, turning it more intimate, turning it into a real, if yet chaste, comforting kiss.

Ralis whimpered softly against Link's mouth, shuddering in his embrace, and Link was surprised at first that he would respond in such a way so quickly, as he was yet an innocent in matters of the flesh.

But then, so was Link. At least, when another person was involved.

Then he realized that Ralis was crying again, pulling back from the unexpected kiss, his heart twisting with pain in his chest as Ralis's slender, beautiful body shook with his sobbing, his eyes clenched tightly shut as he wept in intense sorrow, clinging to Link unconsciously as he cried loudly, his small hands twisted in the thick fabric of Link's undershirt tightly.

"Ralis.." Link said softly, not really knowing what to do to help, deciding that just being here for him would have to be enough as he shifted them both, sitting down on his backside carefully so as not to jostle the traumatized boy too much, starting to rock him in his arms tenderly by moving his own body back and forth as he just held him close.

"It's going to be alright.. I know it isn't now.. I know that it hurts. But everything is going to be alright, my Sweet Prince. I'm here, my Love, I'm here.. And I always will be.."

Ralis cried himself to sleep in Link's arms, but he was reluctant to release him, so he laid the boy down on his back in front of the gravestone, lying down beside him on his own back before shifting the boy one last time to lay him down on top of Link's strong chest, wrapping both his arms around the Zora prince's upper body tenderly, holding the small boy close to the heart that beat only for him, lifting his face up for a moment to press a kiss to the sleeping male's forehead before laying his dirty-blonde haired head back down on the sun-warmed earth, feeling anxious about what would come when Ralis woke again, but also content for the first time that he could remember in a long time as he closed his blue eyes and drifted into slumber as well while holding his beautiful love near to him.

* * *

><p>Link woke much later that same day, seeing that soon it would be night by the beautiful shifting patterns of light in the sky above them.<p>

Ralis had shifted during their sleep, slipping off of his chest to lie against his left side, and Link's heart warmed with a powerful surge of emotion as the Zora boy made a soft, clearly happy sound as he slept, curling his small body into a ball in order to wriggle closer to him, the webbed-fingers of the prince's left hand curling into the fabric of his cream-colored undershirt where it rested palm-down on his chest with the delicate fingers pointed up toward the underside of Link's sculpted chin.

Then the boy's lash-less eyelids fluttered, opening slowly to reveal his sleepy sea-green eyes, which shifted up to look into Link's blue ones, his pretty little mouth curving into a slight smile. **(Aww.. More fanart material! ;))**

"Link?.."

"Yes, Sweet Ralis?.." Link inquired, smiling as well when an adorable pink blush spread over the boy's cheekbones once again.

"Thank you, for.. telling me about.. my mother.. and for.. for holding me.. for not letting me go.. for not letting me be alone right now.."

"Of course. Ralis?.."

"Yes, Link?"

"I'm sorry that I kissed you earlier. I mean, I'm not sorry that I did it, I could never be sorry for that, but.. My.. timing was hardly appropriate. I just.. seeing you like that.. In so much _pain_.. I panicked.. I just did the first thing that came to my mind.. I.. I don't want you to think that I'm the kind of man who would force himself on you when you are at your most venerable.."

"Oh, Link, no.. I could never think of you that way. I know that you were only trying to comfort me. It's alright, I promise. My mother.. She told me of your feelings toward me, that you intend to Court me, to become my Mate. She also said that the choice was up to me, mine to make, as it should be, but that she approved of you for me and had told you so."

"And.. Are you.. Okay with it?.." Link asked him hesitantly, his nerves clear as the water that surrounded them.

"I am, yes. Very much okay with it. I am nearing the age when it is Custom among my people to take a Mate. And, now that my mother is.. gone, it is even more important that I do so, and soon, for I cannot fully assume the Throne until I have a companion, a Consort, to rule beside me. I can think of no one better then the man who saved my life."

"Oh. If I may ask, how old are you, Ralis?"

"Of course you can ask," Ralis replied, his lips curving slightly with amusement. "I'm fifteen years old. Soon to be sixteen. I know," the prince continued in response to the incredulous look on Link's face at his answer. "I look much younger then that. But, Zora's grow differently, slower. You cannot judge them by the standards of your race, Link. We are too different then Hylians, though we are sexually compatible. Such relationships have occurred, though rarely, and have been recorded in our Histories. I could.. show you?.."

"Huh?.." Link said in confusion, asking him for clarification. "Show me what?"

"How my body will respond to yours."

"You mean.. have sex?.."

"Yes."

"Oh.. uh, no, no.. No, that's alright. I.. I can wait."

"But.. don't you want to?.."

"Of course I want to, Ralis. I love you, and I very much want to make love with you. But, because I love you, I want to do what is best for _you_ even more, regardless of my wants and desires, which is as it should be. When someone loves another, they put that other first, before them, or anyone else. You have recently been hurt most grievously, my Heart, in most of the ways that one can be hurt. It would not speak well of me were I to engage in such activities with you so soon after your physical recovery. You and I know different, for you are very strong inside, Ral, but others would think that I had taken advantage of you in your time of pain. I do not care what they think, but I would not have you suffer for their assumptions."

"Then.. When shall we come together? For it needs to be soon, Link, before I return to my people, so that no other may try to lay Claim on me."

"I will make you a promise, Ralis. Tarry here a while yet, continue your prayers to the Goddesses and draw Solace from this place. And when I return to you here, we shall find somewhere to Consummate our Union."

"Alright," Ralis agreed with a smile, asking him curiously. "For where are you bound?"

"I know not, but I must seek out the Mirror of Twilight. I.. don't know how long I shall be away, but.. I shall return here as soon as I may."

"I will be here."

"I love you, Ral. May I.. kiss you goodbye?.."

"I would expect nothing less from my future Mate," Ralis said mischievously, but also seriously, a teasing twinkle in his soft, sea-green eyes as he winked at him playfully.

Link actually blushed, the pair of them sitting up from where they had lain together on the still-warm ground, Link slipping both of his arms around Ralis to pull him in close to his body, embracing in the cool, soothing darkness since night had fallen while they were speaking.

Ralis tilted his head back, angling his face up to look at the Hylian man, accepting his chaste, tender kiss upon his lips with a soft sigh of happiness and pleasure.

The kiss ended after a few wonderful, heart-pounding moments, and they stood up together, Link reaching for Ralis's right hand when he held it out to him, holding it for a few minutes as they stood there together in contented silence, Ralis turning around to lean back slightly against Link, his back to Link's chest as the older male wrapped his arms around him, still clasping his hand with his as he held the small Zora boy close in his embrace. **(Ohhhh! More fanart material! :))**

Then, with obvious reluctance, Link released him, and they got into the water together, still holding hands as they swam across to the exit tunnel, climbing out to stand near it on the other side from the Zora King's gravestone.

Link used the Goddess Power quickly to dry out his wet under-clothes, pulling his tunic on over his head, a soft yelp of pain escaping him when he snagged the neckline on his pointy ears in his hurry.

"Are you okay, Link?" Ralis asked him in concern, reaching out to fix it for him so that the tunic came down over his head, smoothing it out carefully so that it was free of wrinkles.

"Yes," Link answered him, his blue eyes watering slightly at the pain as he smiled at Ralis gratefully, retrieving his belt from the pile of his belongings, fastening it around his waist before adjusting his endless pouch back to its proper position quickly.

"My ears are quite sensitive, obviously. The pain will fade, eventually."

Ralis nodded, watching him, waiting patiently while Link first strapped his sword back onto his shoulders, followed by his quiver of arrows, then finally his shield, then pulled on his boots, picking up his soft green hat, tucking it into his belt with a grin.

"I'll put it back on before I leave the village. Come, it's dark out now; I'll walk you back to the Inn for the night. Just to be safe."

"Alright."

Link crawled out of the tunnel first, followed by Ralis, taking the Zora boy's hand with his when he offered it again after they reached the other side of the small tunnel, walking back together down the stone steps and through the silent, peaceful graveyard, moving closer together instinctively when they came out of the graveyard behind Renado's Sanctuary, arm-in-arm now as they headed quickly up the shadowed, quiet street to the Inn. They walked up the ramp together, stopping at the closed double doors, Link smiling reassuringly at Ralis when he looked up at him questioningly.

"This is where I leave you, my Sweet Prince," he said softly. "You'll be safe once you're inside. I love you, Ral, and I promise that I'll return here to you as soon as I can."

"I know you will, Link. Would you like another kiss for the road?"

"Aye," Link replied, his blue eyes darkening, his voice turning slightly husky at his suggestion. "Aye, I believe I would at that, Rali…"

Ralis grinned, flushing a little as he rose up onto the tiptoes of his webbed-feet to reach the Hylian's lips, a soft, surprised gasp escaping him when Link wrapped both his arms gently around his waist, lifting him up carefully so that his small feet left the ground, putting their faces at the perfect level for kissing.

Ralis giggled quietly, his sea-green eyes soft with affection, but also shining with expectation as Link moved his face yet closer to his, the Zora boy meeting him halfway, melting a little in his strong arms with a sigh as Link's mouth slanted across his on an angle gently.

This kiss was different then the ones before it, different because Link parted his own lips slightly, nibbling briefly on Ralis's lower lip with his teeth affectionately before pulling back to stare into his Beloved's sea-green eyes, panting softly for a moment or two, strangely relieved to see that Ralis fared no better then he when it came to feeling lost in their love.

"_Goddesses_, _Ralis_.." he whispered for the boy's ears alone. "You're so _beautiful_.. I'd better go, my Love, while I still have the strength necessary to tear myself from your side.."

Link lowered a still smiling Ralis back to his feet reluctantly, first placing one last tender kiss upon his soft pink lips.

"See you soon, my Sweet Prince.."

"See you soon, Link.."

Ralis entered the Inn finally, casting one last glance back at the other man, smiling at him tenderly with soft sea-green eyes before closing the doors quietly after Link had smiled back at him with loving blue eyes.

Link then headed back up the street to return to the graveyard for the night, intending to sleep some more in the Zora King's hidden grave before leaving Kakariko Village in the morning, not realizing that Barnes had been watching he and Ralis together from the upstairs window of his bomb shop.

* * *

><p>The next morning Link gathered up his belongings early, deciding that Castle Town would be the best place to start searching for answers after conferring with Midna.<p>

"I don't even know where the Mirror of Twilight is…-" she said to him quietly. " But we might find a clue in the bustle of Castle Town…"

"Yes, you're most likely right. Let's go."

"You don't want to say goodbye to Ralis?" she asked in genuine surprise.

"He's probably still sleeping," Link said with a soft smile at the thought of the prince. "Besides, we said our goodbyes last night.."

"_Hmmm_, yes, I can see that you did.." Midna said teasingly, winking at him playfully before whisking them away on the wings of the Twilight after turning him back into a wolf with Zant's magic, reappearing just in front of the wooden bridge that led to Castle Town, turning him back into his human form before vanishing back into his shadow with one last playful giggle directed at him.

Link rolled his blue eyes, but he was smiling as he set off across the bridge ahead quickly.

"Mr. Link! WAAAAAAIT!-" the mailman called out as he ran up to him from inside the town. "Greetings, Mr. Link! I have come to deliver a letter. It is a letter from Telma. Well, my business is concluded! Onward to mail!"

The mailman ran back to Castle Town, and Link opened the letter, reading its contents quickly.

'Link,

There are some folks I want you to meet, so come to my bar right away.

These guys will be powerful allies for you. You heard me! Come by!

I'll be waiting at my Castle Town bar.

Telma.'

He put the letter away into his endless pouch, then set of for the bar, weaving in and around the streets of Castle Town, surprised to see a young Goron boy sitting near the side street that led to Telma's bar, speaking to the boy because he seemed to be very sad about something.

"My father cannot get any hot spring water to sell, so lately he just sits outside the eastern gate," he said in response to Link's sympathetic inquiry.

"I talk to him, but he just sighs… He does not seem like the father I remember! This is so bad! I am afraid my father will never be the same! I do not know what to do!"

"I'll do what I can, little brother," Link promised him, placing a gentle hand on his small right shoulder for a moment, smiling at him reassuringly.

"You will?"

"Yes, I will."

"Thank you, big brother!"

"Of course. Take care of yourself."

"You, too!"

Link nodded, smiling again before finally heading down the nearby steps and into the courtyard, entering the bar quickly.

"Oh my…-" Telma called to him with a wide smile on her face, hands on her ample hips where she stood behind her bar. "If it isn't Link!-"

He walked up to her bar counter with a grin, and she continued to speak boisterously. "-You made it! How've you been, honey?"

"Great, Telma, thank you. Ralis is awake, and he's accepted me as his future Mate."

"That's wonderful, honey! Mercy, but you have good timing. I was just talking about you! Hey, everyone! Introduce yourselves! This handsome young man is the infamous Link! You remember what I told you before, honey? These are those friends I mentioned, the ones who are trying to help deal with all the troubles in Hyrule. Actually, there's one more of us… but there's been a disturbing turn of events in the western desert, so he's gone to check it out. He's an older man named Auru. If you happen to meet him, definitely take the time to talk with him, okay, honey? Well, you've come all the way here, honey, so why don't you relax a bit? Why don't you try to be sociable and talk to these folks? They're a jolly bunch!"

"I will, yes. Telma.. I can trust you not to tell anyone about me and Ralis, right?"

"Of course I won't, honey, if that's what you really want?"

"No, it's not what I want, but.. I just think that it would be.. safer for him if no one knows but our people, the Zoras, I mean, at least for now. I know that it has to come out, as we'll be Mated soon, but I'd prefer to stall the gossip until then. You understand, right? I don't want you to think that I'm ashamed of him, because I could never be that, Telma, I.. I love him. I love him more then anyone or anything. He's my Life.."

"_Oh_, _honey_!" Telma said in surprise, coming out from behind the counter to put her arms around him, squeezing him tightly to comfort him, stroking his soft dirty-blonde hair gently.

"Of course I understand, baby. No one will hear it from me. That's a promise. That's the sweetest thing that I've heard in a long while, honey. He's very lucky to have you, darling."

Link laughed softly, returning her hug after a moment, his blue eyes shining briefly, all of his love for Ralis clearly visible in his eyes for a few minutes of completely unguarded emotion.

"I'm the lucky one, Telma," he corrected her gently. "He's so beautiful. And good, pure of heart. He'll make an amazing leader of his people when he's ready to accept the position. And his _kisses_.. Um, nevermind about that last bit.."

Telma laughed loudly as Link blushed, squeezing him tighter for a moment before releasing him.

"He's to be a leader of his people?" she asked him curiously.

"Yes. Actually, he's to be King. His mother, Queen Rutela, was.. recently murdered by the one who commands this Twilight. The Twilight itself is not evil, he is. Very much so."

"Oh. _King Ralis_, is it?.. My, you've landed a big one, honey."

Link laughed at Telma's fish joke, smiling as he shook his head at her.

"Yeah, I guess I have. I don't care about that, though. It's him that I love, not his future title."

"Aye, that I know, honey. Go on and meet the others now. We can talk more later, if you'd like."

"Aye, I would at that. I'm sure I'll be back here sometime soon."

She nodded, and they smiled at each other, Link watching her go back behind the bar before heading toward the small back room where the two men and one woman sat, or stood, at the wood table there.

The man who sat at the left had nothing to say, his face covered by a helmet, so Link turned to Shad, inwardly admiring his pretty, sculpted face as the man spoke to him in a soft, almost angelic voice.

"Oh, hello there! You must be Link, correct? I'm Shad. Wonderful to meet you. Telma told me all you've been up to. You're rather formidable! I'm rather NOT, I'm afraid. Well, I'm formidable at book reading, but I lack, shall we say, physical skills. That said, if the history and legends of Hyrule are your cup of tea, I'm your fellow! If you're curious, just ask away."

"Don't worry about things like that, Shad," Link suggested to him gently. "Life's too short. Any man, or woman, can learn to swing a sword with training and experience. It takes a different, stronger sort of person to revere peace, and book learning. We'll each do what we can for Hyrule's future, and in our own, special way."

Shad look at him in surprise, a soft pink blush spreading across his cream colored cheekbones beneath the frames of his glasses, as well as the tips of his long pointed ears, which were similar to Link's own, his blue eyes brightening slightly at his words.

"Thank you, Link. You are.. most kind. At the moment I'm absolutely entranced by the sky beings known as the Oocca. Yes, according to legend, Hyrule was made by the Hylians, who, as we all know, are the closest race to the gods. But also according to legend, long ago there was a race even closer to the gods, and some say THESE creatures made the Hylians. When they created the people of Hylia, they simultaneously created a new capital, a city that floated in the heavens. They dwelt there… and some scholars believe that this race lives there still, somewhere in the great sky. Sky beings… Isn't that simply marvelous, Link? What I wouldn't give to meet them!"

"_Hmmm_.. Oocca, you say?"

"Yes. Of course, you not believing me would be perfectly understandable.."

"Oh, no. I mean, I'm not sure about the rest of it, but, I believe I've met one. Two, actually. Her name is Ooccoo, and she has a son."

"_Really_? That's incredible!"

"_Mmm_.. Maybe I could introduce you sometime."

"You'd do that for me? Thank you!"

"Of course. I'll see what I can do. And Shad?.."

"Yes, Link?"

"You were wrong, before. I'm not fearless. I fear many things. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is not letting your fears stand in the way of what needs to be done."

Shad's dark blue eyes rounded behind the lenses of his glasses, making him look somewhat like a beautiful red-feathered owl because of the color of his hair and how the glass magnified his gorgeous eyes, his mouth hanging open a little as he stared at him in wide-eyed shock.

"How.. How do you know about that?.."

"I have my ways."

He nodded to Shad, then walked around him when he nodded back to speak to the dark-haired young woman on the other side of the table, asking her what her name was politely.

"…It's Ashei. I grew up in the mountains with my father, who was a knight in his own right. He taught me the arts of war as though I was his son. Of course, lessons in common courtesy were not part of the regimen, so forgive me if I come off as rude, yeah? Listen, before I blab both of your ears off, I want to tell you something. Snow peak, the mountain to the north of Hyrule… It's unlike any mountain I've ever known. I don't know much yet, but things happen there that happen on no other mountain I know of. … Evil controls it… As soon as I know something more, I'll tell you. Until then, you should stay away, yeah?"

"I will, yes. Thanks for the tip, Ashei."

She nodded solemnly, and Link nodded, walking back around to the front of the table to check the map for Auru's exact location, pulling his own map out of his endless pouch to mark down the spot on it quickly, listening to Shad with one pointed ear while he spoke to him briefly.

"That old codger Auru is at Lake Hylia, studying the desert."

"Thank you, Shad. I'd better get moving now. I'll see you soon, I imagine."

"Yes, see you soon, Link," Shad replied, looking a little in awe of him as Link headed back out to the main bar area to inform Telma that he was leaving her bar again.

"How's that Ilia doing, honey?"

"She's alright. Kind of down. But then, I think that anyone in her situation would be."

"Yes, you're probably right. I'm sure that shaman will find a way to get her memory back. That Renado is a talented man, for sure! Anyway, honey, you've got your own things to worry about, so you just make sure you do what needs doing right now, okay? Listen, honey, if you're puzzled about what you ought to be doing, why not go see our friend Auru? There's a man who knows things! Right now he's off investigating Hyrule's western desert. If you need detailed directions, just take a peak at that map on the table."

"I already have, Telma, thank you. I'll go see him, and I'll help Ilia, too, if I can."

"Good. We'll see you soon, Link."

"Yes, see you soon."

* * *

><p>Link left the bar, heading back up to the street, passing the Goron boy with an encouraging smile to exit the gate there.<p>

He walked across a long wooded bridge, down a set of stone steps, across a beautiful terrace overlooking the field, down more steps to a beautiful stone fountain full of shining water, hearing a quiet, happy giggle, looking around and spotting a young girl in a pretty white dress, carrying a little basket and a parasol that matched her dress, despite the obvious lack of rain, approaching her curiously.

Her hair was a golden yellow color, much lighter then his own dirty blonde strands, and when she turned at his approach, he saw that her eyes were a pleasant shade of blue-gray.

"…Oh, boy!-" she said in surprise. "-I thought you were a giant grasshopper!-" she giggled again before continuing to speak to him excitedly.

"-But you're not! You're a person! Still, you're wearing those clothes, so that tells me you like bugs too! Oh, boy, I forget the formalities! You have audience with the princess of the bug kingdom. Agitha is my name!"

"I'm Link. Chosen One of the Three Goddesses," he replied, tacking his title on the end only because she had done so.

"Oh. Really?"

"Yes, really," he teased, grinning at her unconsciously.

"Oh. Well, I've invited the twenty four golden bugs of the world to the ball, but… I don't know if they got lost on the way or what, but they haven't shown up yet. If you see them, would you please bring them here to Agitha's Castle? And tell them the princess awaits! If you see them, bring them to my castle on the other side of the gate?"

"I will," he promised, nodding to her politely before turning away to walk down the last of the steps and into the field.

Link turned to the right after checking his map, putting it away again before he kept walking until he saw the golden wolf ahead, falling into unconsciousness once again, waking quickly and pushing himself to his feet in the misty place, seeing the Dark warrior in front of him once more.

"We meet again. This next is the greatest of the hidden skills I have taught you to this point, and it may test the limits of you endurance… Do you still wish to master it?"

"I do."

"Very well… But before we begin, I must test you to ensure you have Mastered the last skill I taught you, the back slice. Now then, come at me!"

Link nodded, drawing his sword and jumping to the right, performing the back slice quickly and skillfully, knocking the warrior off his feet, watching him stand again before he continued to speak.

"Excellent. It appears you are certainly capable of performing my lost art. Very well. My forth hidden skill is… The helm splitter! Let it be hewn into you mind!-" They took up battle stances, and the Dark one continued his instruction to Link.

"-It is impossible to circle around and perform a back slice against fully armored enemies that move swiftly in combat. Against such foes, you must first use a shield attack to make them flinch, but then quickly move… You will then leap into the air over the enemy's head and greet them with your blade by immediately striking from behind.-" The warrior demonstrated the move, but as usual, he never touched Link.

"-This is the Helm Splitter! Show it to me!-"

Link nodded, taking up his battle stance again, performing the move against the warrior, making it look effortless somehow, though it most definitely was not.

"_Hmm_,-" the man said once he was recovered enough from the attack to speak. "-Impressive. Do not miss your chance to land a helm splitter after a shield attack! The fourth hidden skill, the helm splitter, has been passed on!-"

Link nodded, performing the move again, then putting his sword away with a dramatic flourish and a smile.

"-There are still three hidden skills for you to learn. Do not neglect your daily sword training between now and the time you come to learn the next skill! May we meet again."

"May we meet again," Link repeated, then the mist closed in about him once more and he woke in the tangible world, pushing himself back to his feet with a slight groan, heading back the way that he had come, seeing a goron standing by a rock-slide blocked pass, moving closer to speak with him.

"…Hey!-" he said, turning around to face Link with a wide grin on his round, boulder-like face. "-You are that human, yes? The other gorons told me about you, Brother? Just take a look at these rocks! Amazing! Was there a landslide or something? What are you doing here anyway, Brother? Are you trying to pass through here? If I drank some hot spring water, it might give me the strength to break through a big rock fall like this… Hey, Brother, if you find some hot spring water, you should come see me again!"

"I'll bring you some when I can," Link promised him.

"Really? Thank you, Brother!"

"Of course, Brother."

Link turned away from him with a nod and a smile, returning back up the steps to head back into Castle Town, escorting Agitha back inside the gate since she was leaving to return home as it was getting dark out now with the coming of night.

From there, Link headed for the eastern gate to locate the Goron boy's father.

At the other side of the bridge outside the gate, there was a ghost, so Link asked Midna to shift him to wolf, taking it's soul and driving it away as well as killing a large bird before shifting back to his human form and continuing on his way, killing another bird, as well as two goblins at the bottom of the stone steps there.

He went through a dark tunnel, emerging on the other side of it to find the Goron boy's father sitting near the edge of a broken bridge that had clearly once crossed the deep ravine there.

"OooWahhh… Oh noooo… This is the end. The bridge is broken, so we cannot carry spring water… Now there is no way to work… Ohhh… I wish someone would fix the bridge…"

"I'll see it done, somehow, my Brother," Link promised him.

"You will? Really?"

"Yes. I swear it."

"Oh, thank you, my Brother, thank you!"

"Of course."

Link turned and headed back into Castle Town, deciding to ask around and find an Inn to stay in for the night before heading off for Lake Hylia in the morning to find Auru there.

* * *

><p>Link rose early the next morn, gathering up his belongings, strapping his weapons and shield back onto his shoulders, deciding to drop by Agitha's Castle to give her the tiny golden ant that he had found in the graveyard beneath the crow's tree in Kakariko Village before heading out of Castle Town for Lake Hylia.<p>

He located her home on a long side street to his right, practically directly across from Telma's bar, speaking to a boy who was peering into one of her windows there suspiciously.

"What?" the young boy said in confusion as he stared at Link. "What's up with you? You have some business at Agitha's Castle? You don't look like you'd be a friend of hers… I've got a piece of advice for you… If you don't have any business here, you're better off not loitering for very long."

"As it just so happens, I do have business here," Link said truthfully, then proceeded to add a smooth lie. "I am Agitha's half-brother. Who, may I ask, might you be?"

"You're Agitha's brother?.." the slender lad asked him in obvious surprise.

"Aye, I am. And I look out for her best interests, so, I repeat, who are you?"

"I.. My name is Phillep. I am a carpenter's apprentice. I.. like Agitha, very much, but.. She does not seem to notice me.. She does not notice anything but her bugs.."

"Well, Phillep, I shall put in a good word or two for you, but you had better not hurt her. Do we have a deal?"

"Aye, oh, yes, Sir, we do!" the boy said, looking shocked at Link's words. "You will not regret it, I promise you!"

"See that I don't," Link said sternly, but a slight smile curved his lips, knowing himself some of what the lad must be feeling.

Then he nodded to him, reaching out to open the door to Agitha's Castle, going inside and drawing the door smoothly closed behind himself, leaving Phillep to watch through the window if he so chose to.

He walked over to Agitha with a wide smile on his face, unable to resist her adorable, child-like charm.

"Have you brought a bug for Princess Agitha's ball?"

"Yes, I have, little sister. Here he is," Link replied, handing her the ant carefully after extracting the creature from his endless pouch.

"Oh, oh, oh boy! Who's your friend? You're a li`l boy ant! Aren't you, you li`l cutie? Li`' ant, li`l ant, I might mistake you for a grain and put you in my cereal… Oh, boy, thank you so much! I'm so happy! … You actually went bug hunting for me, didn't you? To be honest, I doubted you would… I guess some might consider me a poor-mannered princess… From now on, if you bring me insects, I'll share my happiness with you. You can keep it in this!-"

Link was shocked speechless for a moment when Agitha gave him a bigger wallet that would up to six hundred rupees before she continued speaking softly.

"-I wonder if there's a partner for li`l boy ant somewhere close by where you found this one? If any bug becomes part of a pair, I think I'll be able to share GREAT happiness with you! If you don't mind my asking, could you find a partner for any single bug at the ball?"

"Of course I will. Thank you, Agitha. Very much."

"You are welcome, Link."

"Um, Agitha.. speaking of partners, there is a boy outside who likes you very much. His name is Phillep. I told him that I am your half-brother, and that I would put in a good word or two for him, but that if he hurt you, he would have to answer to me. He's an Apprentice to a carpenter, so he must be somewhat responsible."

"Oh? So that is why you called me 'little sister'?"

"Yes, although I wouldn't mind if we treated it as more then a facade for him. I never had many friends or any family before I left Ordon, so I'd like to make as many as possible on this journey I'm on. I'm tired of being lonely."

"Oh," she said with a quiet giggle of amusement. "Well, then, by all means, send him in on your way out, big brother!"

Link smiled and nodded, hugging her gently for a moment, impulsively kissing her reddish-blonde hair before releasing her to go.

"I shall. And, I will return as soon as I may, hopefully with more bugs for you, little sister."

"Oh, yes, do!" she said, smiling widely as she giggled and clapped her hands excitedly as he moved to leave, grinning at her as he opened the door, nodding again before grabbing Phillep by the back of his shirt collar gently, giving him a little nudge through the door, saying to him in a mock whisper,

"Go on, Phillep, she wants to see you. Have fun now, but behave yourselves, be responsible."

Then he shut the door in the shocked boy's face, hearing Agitha's cute little giggle before he walked away up the street laughing quietly to himself in amusement, passing a large tent with three young girls standing outside of it, as well as a little brown and white puppy chewing on what was obviously his bone, before reaching the main street, exiting the gate there out of Castle Town quickly.

He walked across the bridge and down the steps, then called for Midna, asking her to take him to Lake Hylia when she asked what he wanted from her.

They vanished from there, reappearing at the lake, near Fyer's hut, asking her to shift him back to his human form before checking their map, looking at the location where the red dot he had made was, putting it away again and heading in that direction, walking up a steep wooden bridge, then going up a ladder, finding a singing stone to his right, having Midna change him back to wolf so that he could howl there to call the shining wolf, howling the song with him when he appeared in his mind's eyes.

"Let teachings of old pass to you… Take sword in hand and find me…"

The wolf marked the next place that he would be on their map, then leapt away, Link waking back up by the stone, asking Midna to shift him back to his human shape before looking around, spotting a blocked cave just across from the stone, blowing it open with a bomb before going inside to explore it's dark depths with the help of his trusty lantern from Coro, though there were already some floor lanterns at random intervals throughout the cave, some lit, some unlit, so these he lit himself.

The cave was very deep, and full of monsters and traps, but it also contained many, many rupees, as well as three ghosts, and a piece of heart, so it had definitely been worth it to him.

Link used the nearby beams of blue light to return back to the cave's entrance, from there heading up to the tall tower high up on the edge of the cliff ahead, climbing up the metal ladder slowly, seeing a man who he knew must be Auru, the older man he had seen in the bar below with the others while racing to save Midna's life, when he finally reached the top of the tower.

"I thought it was about time for you to arrive…-" the older man said, facing away from him as he looked through a telescope, then lowered it to his side and turned to face him before continuing to speak quietly. "-Master Link, is it?-" the man lowered his hood, revealing a bearded, lined, but still youthful face.

"-You know Telma, don't you? I am Auru. I am part of the group that Telma kindly allows to meet at her bar. I have heard all about your deeds from her. Now… You being a courageous youth… You have likely heard of the strange events in the desert and come to investigate, no? Or am I mistaken? You do know, don't you, Master Link? The Gerudo Desert once held a prison built to hold the worst criminals this land has ever known… The criminals who were sentenced to death were sent directly to the underworld by a cursed mirror that was kept in the prison… Now that prison is condemned, and even the road leading to the desert is impassable. This desert at world's end… It still holds the cursed mirror and the malice of the doomed inmates… These old bones know that they evil currently plaguing Hyrule is related to this wicked place. So I have come to learn the truth… Master Link, I must ask… What will you do now? Don't tell me you plan to enter the desert and confirm my suspicions with your own eyes?"

"Yes, Auru, I do," he answered him firmly, his blue eyes flashing for a moment with his determination, knowing that he couldn't let anyone go and risk their lives in the desert on a dangerous mission that was rightfully his to bear as the Chosen One of the Goddesses.

"Ah, is that so…-" he said, obviously contemplating his answer for a minute before continuing to speak quietly.

"-Then let good old Auru help you out… You see Lake Hylia below us? A man named Fyer runs an amusement ride of sorts there. Give him this.-" Auru had written Fyer a memo, which he gave now to Link.

"-See, long ago, I saved this man Fyer's life, and now he cannot refuse me if I ask a favor. If you leave the rest up to Fyer, all should go well."

"Thank you, Auru," Link said, placing the memo for Fyer into his endless pouch as he spoke. "If you see Telma before I do, tell her I shall return to her bar as soon as I may?"

"Of course, Master Link."

Link nodded, turning away from him to gaze down at the water to the right of the tower, turning his head to flash Auru an impish grin, then he jumped off the edge of the tower after gauging the necessary distance carefully, performing a flawless dive into the water far below, his heart beating fast with the thrill of the fall, swimming over to the spot of land near Fyer's hut, whispering a spell to dry himself and his belongings and clothes using the gift of the Goddess Power before crossing the wooden bridge there just past the colorful, but rude bird Plumm to speak to the man.

"Hey… You're back!-" he said to Link. "-Heh heh … So, fella… I guess you liked the ride, huh? Not a bad bit of fantastication! The HEIGHT of excitement, the THRILL of launching to the heavens, the very PEAK of flying fantastication… It can be yours, fella! For a limited time only, and without waiting in line, it's a paltry ten RUPEES! Whaddaya say, buddy of mine? Wanna give it a shot?-"

Link nodded, but he handed him the memo from Auru, not saying anything while the other man read it's contents quickly.

"-Hrrrm… From old Auru, huh… Ah well, I guess I oughta do what the old coot says… Oasis flight, right? So here you go, one of our secret options not available to the general public… This time's all paid for… So Whaddaya say? You wanna go?"

"Yes, I'll go now."

"All righty then… But remember, next time, you gotta pay! Sweet sailing, buddy of mine. One for Oasis… fire in the hole!"

Link nodded at the man, walking into his odd contraption reluctantly when he moved aside for him, getting shot across the expanse and into the desert.

* * *

><p>Link stood on a high dune, overlooking the vast expanse of sand all around.<p>

The air was dry and hot, the land, at least, what he could see of it so far, arid, barren of life, and he felt his mouth drying as he breathed, so he knew that soon he would need to find water, or leave and come back with water.

He was about to set off down the sand dune, when Midna spoke up suddenly from behind him.

"Wait, Link..-"

He turned to look at her where she was floating by his side with her tiny legs crossed, obviously upset about something as her one visible eye stared at the ground while she held her delicate hands behind her back.

"-Before we go on, there's something I want you to hear. … Do you remember what the spirit said about the Fused Shadows? What do you think happened to the magic wielders who tried to rule the Sacred Realm? They were banished. They were chased across the sacred lands of Hyrule and driven into another realm by the Goddesses. Will you let me into your mind, Link, that I may show you?-"

Link nodded, opening himself up to her trustingly, feeling her Dark mind touch his Light one, and she showed Link this other Realm in vivid mental pictures as she continued to speak to him.

"-It was another world entirely… The antithesis of Hyrule, where the sun shines bright. Its denizens became shadows that could not mingle with the light. Eventually, most came to call it the Twilight Realm, and from it, none could return to the world of light… They were forever doomed to live in the twilight, flitting in the half-light of dusk, mere shadows of Hyrule…-"

She withdrew from his mind then before continuing to speak, and he quickly raised his mental shields once more while still listening to her speaking to him softly, sadly.

"-This is the history of the Twili as it has been passed down from our ancestors… Do you now understand what I am? I'm a descendant of the that was banished to the Twilight Realm!-" here Midna's voice rose in clear agitation, and she bared her left fang, a low, angry growl escaping her small throat now, continuing quickly, reaching out to him with her mind to show him more images.

"-It was a peaceful place…until Zant took control of the Twilight Realm and transformed all of the Twili into shadow beasts.-"

She showed him images of shadow beasts, as well as Zant surrounded by his terrible creations.

"-It's clear to me now that he somehow gained a great evil power previously unknown to our tribe… In any case, I was sent from there, and could no longer get into the Twilight Realm without his power.-"

She let go of his mind's eyes again, still speaking.

"-… But there's another tale told by my people. Though the Goddesses forbade us to return to the world of light, they left one link between the light and the darkness. Something called the Mirror of Twilight was passed to the protectors of Hyrule…-"

Midna floated forward to hover in front of him now, an earnest, anxious look on her face as she looked up at him.

"-It's our only path to the Twilight Realm…and we must get there!-"

She surprised Link then, reaching up with her tiny right hand to touch his left cheek, curling her delicate fingers over it gently before continuing softly.

"-You'll come with me… Won't you?"

Link smiled at her, nodding reassuringly, surprising her now when he reached out to her, enfolding her in his arms, squeezing her gently while holding her against his strong chest for a few minutes, sensing her need for comfort and reassurance, watching her smile up at him when he released her finally.

"Everything _is_ going to be alright, 'Dina, I promise. It has to be. I won't give up, not for anything! This I swear to you, my dear friend. My Comrade in Arms. My.. My sister."

Midna gasped softly, but she smiled at his words, her eyes softening with emotion before she spoke.

"I know, Link. I trust you, my dear friend, my Comrade, my brother."

They exchanged another smile, and then she slid away back into his shadow.

* * *

><p>Link set off down the dunes and across the sands now, gasping and drawing his blade quickly when he was a attacked by some kind of sand burrowing bug, killing it, as well as nine more, then an absolutely huge creature of the same variety, followed by another, then a small one, another large one, passing an odd grouping of strangely shaped stone blocks, one with a bird-like statue resting atop it, falling into one of three nearby trenches by accident.<p>

He looked around to get his bearings back again, then explored all of the trenches, killing a large sand bug in the second one before finding a female dayfly for Agitha, seeing it shining in the gathering darkness, tucking it away into his endless pouch carefully until he could return to her, killing another small sand bug before leaving that place to continue onward quickly, reaching a large dark stone monolith.

He grappled up to a tree there using the clawshot, then to a plant, dropping down to the ground and gasping in surprise when he was suddenly surrounded by a red barrier, three twilight monsters dropping from yet another portal that formed in the sky, Midna shifting him to wolf quickly so that he could dispatch them, then back to his human form.

Link then climbed up a set of four steps to reach the top, shifting back to wolf to drive away a ghost that floated near a large pinnacle of stone, stealing it's stolen soul before looking to the stone pinnacle.

"What is this thing?" Midna asked him as she floated off his back to take a closer look.

He couldn't speak in this form, so he barked, asking her to warp, directing her to the bridge of Eldin where he had killed the twilight creatures who had broken said bridge, watching her replace the bridge where it belonged before turning Link back to his human shape.

He was surprised to see his horse standing on the bridge as though waiting for him, but he patted her nose gently before mounting her, deciding to check in at Malo's shop in Kakariko Village since they were so close to it before returning to the desert, riding Epona back there across Hyrule field while evading numerous goblins on boar back, as well as large birds, riding up to the spring at the far side of the village before dismounting and walking to the shop, surprised to find one of the Goron elders sitting beside the steps that led up to it, speaking to him quietly.

"UNNNYARA MUNNYARA HANYARA PINYARA… EEEEEEEEEK! Hrrph hrrph hrrph! Long, long ago I predicted that you would come, my brother. Tell me, my brother, did you see a young boy Goron in trouble in Castle Town?-"

Link nodded solemnly in answer.

"-I would go to his aid in a moment, but with that bridge still needing repairs, it is impossible… Perhaps his fortunes will turn, for it looks like the Malo Mart is raising money to repair the bridge. This is a fine thing, my brother. Perhaps you might consider a contribution to their fund-raising to help our people?"

"I will give, yes. Everything that I have to give."

"Really? Oh, thank you, brother, thank you! So much!"

"Of course," Link said with a nod, walking up the steps and into the shop quickly.

Once he got inside, he spoke to another Goron elder who stood there with a box in his hands, hands that clearly shook with the weakness that came to all with age.

"Welllll come… to Malo Mart!-" he shouted, lowering his voice before continuing to speak. "-I have heard from a reliable source that shops in Hyrule Castle Town are gouging prices, crushing folks under the thumb of commerce! Well, fear not, my Brudda, for Malo Mart has proposed a townspeople-relief plan as an answer to the lamentations of the common man! Phase One : Repair the broken bridge leading from east Castle Town to the field in order to improve traffic! Phase Two : Buy that Castle Town shop and sell products to the town at reduced prices! You have heard me right, my Brudda! There is a problem, however… The finances for the execution of this glorious plan are…lacking! Please, my Brudda! Offer some financial support to aid in the purchase of the Castle Town shop! For the benefit of the people!"

"Of course I will, brother."

"Oh, thank Din, Maker of all Goron's! Thank you, my Brudda! We are one thousand rupees short of funding for the bridge repairs… We need that bridge for a steady flow of goods to Castle Town… We MUST bring the cost of goods down in Castle Town, my Brudda!"

"One thousand, you said? Well, I'm afraid that I only have six hundred with me at the moment. You can have that for now, though, and I shall return with more as soon as I may."

Link pulled out his wallet from within his endless pouch, upending the cloth bag over the box and watching as the rupees spilled out into it in a shimmering rainbow of colors.

Green, blue, yellow, red, purple, and orange.

"Oh, Link…" the Goron elder said in shock. "This is much too much. Don't you need some of them for food, or lodgings?"

"Not really, my brother. I am used to living off the land around me, and I prefer to sleep beneath the stars, anyway. I can always return here when I need sleep. Except for the occasional purchase of supplies, I have not much need of money. I would rather it be used to accomplish something good for others then stay in my wallet until the Goddesses know when," he explained, tucking away his now-empty wallet back inside his endless pouch.

"Well, if you're sure?.."

"I am."

"Alright. We have only four hundred rupees left to raise before we reach our goal for the bridge repair fund! Thank you so much for your support, my Brudda!"

Link nodded to him respectfully, flashing Malo a small smile before exiting the shop, passing Beth with another smile on his way back to the spring. He knelt down beside the shining waters to take a long drink, knowing that it would sustain him better and longer then any regular water ever could, also filling one of his empty bottles to take some with him, then he called for Midna again, and the pair of friends were off once more, back to the desert.

* * *

><p>They reappeared where the bridge of Eldin had been, Midna shifting Link back to his human form, seeing stone steps leading down into what was obviously a cave, but he decided not to explore it for now, sensing somehow that he wasn't yet ready to confront the perils within it's depths, climbing down again and heading across the sands until he came to a bottomless gorge, following it's outline until he found a plant, latching onto it with the clawshot to cross over, finding a chest that contained a purple fifty rupee, tossing it into his endless pouch where it was sucked into his wallet before crossing back over to the other side, going forward from there until he found a small gated alcove.<p>

He looked around him for a moment, uncertain what to do, finally just deciding to commandeer one of the nearby goblins boars to ride around on to make this easier.

He did so quickly, killing all the goblins before using one of the creatures to break into the alcove, finding a chest containing a red rupee.

Then he rode the creature around the nearby area, grinning happily when he soon spotted a ghost shimmering in the darkness up on a higher level of a sand dune, taking it's stolen bit of soul and watching it fade before digging down into a cave below, using his senses, to find two more, as well as an orange rupee after using his lantern to light the three torches there.

Then Link returned to the surface, going back down from there to his stolen boar, which had, apparently, wandered away.

He located it over by the fire with another boar, mounting it again and continuing to search the desert for anything of merit, eventually finding the male dayfly to the far right of the monolith, tucking it away into his endless pouch for safekeeping for Agitha, as well as another ghost that resided as far to the right as he could get from the monolith without leaving the desert, dispatching it back to the nether world after shifting to wolf form briefly to take it's stolen soul, bringing his total up to thirteen, digging down into the cave nearby to find, to his horror, a nest of spiders, killing them quickly with nasty sounding growls and snapping jaws, Midna shifting him back to human so that he could open a blue and silver chest that contained an orange rupee, breaking numerous nearby pots with his blade before going back to the surface, returning to the campfire to retrieve the boar, who had again wandered away.

It was a bit of a walk on foot, so he was tired, sweat-soaked and panting by the time he reached the fire's light, taking a long drink of the precious water that he had collected from the spirit's spring in Kakariko Village after sitting down near the two boars, putting it away again back into his endless pouch, deciding reluctantly that he should rest through what remained of the night, sleep as much as he could until morning, so he curled up in a ball against the broad, hairy side of the warm boar so that he wouldn't get cold, though that was doubtful here in this hot desert region, closing his exhausted blue eyes and drifting into a surprisingly restful sleep. **(I was thinking that this would be a good fanart picture too while I was writing the chapter. I can just picture Link taking a much-needed nap against the side of one of these big creatures. :))**

* * *

><p>The next morning he woke early again, while it was still a little dark out feeling refreshed, stretching with a soft groan where he lay against the boar still as he was slightly stiff, working out the painful tightness in his muscles with exercises before he mounted the animal and rode through the gate ahead, dismounting and patting the creature's large snout affectionately before leaving it behind by climbing the dirt ledges just ahead of him.<p>

He searched the immediate area, finding another ghost, taking its stolen soul, as well as the shining wolf, collapsing to wake once more in the misty place, listening to the warrior speak to him.

"We meet again. At last, the skills I have to teach you have entered the realm of true secrecy. They are forgotten ways that do not leave our bloodline. Among the techniques I shall be teaching you are some that may even endanger you… Do you feel ready to learn these skills?"

"I do," Link answered him firmly.

"Very well… But before we begin, I must test you to ensure that you have mastered the last skill I taught you, the helm splitter. Now then, come at me!-"

Link nodded determinedly, and they both took up battle stances quickly, Link performing the move with ease after using it so much lately.

"-Excellent.-" the warrior continued his lesson. "-It appears you are certainly capable of performing my lost art. Very well. My fifth hidden skill is… The mortal draw! Let it be hewn into you mind!-"

They took up training positions now before he continued to speak to Link seriously.

"-The ways of the sword are known to many creatures, and some have strengthened their guards against shield attacks and back slices. Should you encounter such a foe, the mortal draw that I am about to teach you is most effective. You must sheath your sword and cast aside the most basic of sword skills. You must wait until your foe is upon you… Then, before the enemy can see through your ruse, you must quickly draw your blade.-"

The warrior demonstrated the move, but, as usual, he did not touch Link with his blade before pulling back from him again.

"-There is no defense for this. The mortal draw deals death. Very well. Now, you try it!-"

Link put his sword away, waiting patiently for the other man's approach, then drawing it quickly to perform the move, knocking him back and waiting until he recovered.

"-Hmm. That was a pointed strike. But do not forget that this technique leaves your life at risk. The fifth hidden skill, the mortal draw, has been passed on!-"

Link nodded, performing the move again before putting his sword away with a dramatic flourish, listening as the warrior continued speaking softly.

"-There are still two hidden skills for you to learn… Do not neglect your daily sword training between now and the time you come to learn the next! May we meet again."

Link nodded with an eager smile curving his lips, and the warrior vanished into the mist, Link waking once more upon the warm sand, standing up and brushing off his forest green tunic before continuing forward once again up the path from where the shining wolf had been waiting.

The second he set foot into a wide, open space, a goblin perched as a lookout on a tower started screeching and growling, so he shot it down with his bow after taking careful aim.

Then he crossed the expanse of sand, walking up a set of stone steps with sword drawn, trusting his instincts that something threatening lay ahead.

He was correct, for when he turned to the right, he was soon engaged in combat with four goblins at once, finally managing to silence their horrid shrieks and growls, finding a small gold chest there containing arrows before backtracking and this time taking the left path from the steps.

He climbed up a steep dune of sand just past a floor lantern, killing a fifth goblin when it charged him, followed by a sixth goblin that was visible atop a tower before turning the corner there.

He walked forward to stand between a pair of primitively constructed tents, suddenly being surrounded by four goblins, killing them all quickly before continuing on.

Link gasped involuntarily as he was mobbed by more goblins then he could possibly manage to count, eventually managing to kill them all, shocked when even more came, eliminating them before continuing on.

He lost track of how many goblins he killed after that, his sword and clothing awash in their black-blood, stumbling forward with exhaustion until he found a large pig roasting on a makeshift spit over a fire, killing the goblin beside it and taking the small silver key at it's belt, slumping down beside the fire and taking a small sip or two of his precious supply of water, resting for a few long moments before getting to his feet again reluctantly.

He washed the filth off his blade with a little more of the precious water before cutting several chunks of meat off the pig, cutting them into strips before sitting down again to eat as much as he could stomach, as did Midna, letting the meat settle in their bellies before each taking a sip of water before moving on once again, locating a locked wooden gate with the skulls of Ordon goats upon it, obviously placed there as a message to him should he ever have gotten this far, unlocking it and going inside cautiously with sword drawn.

His caution was warranted, as it turned out, because he encountered a large goblin within with a absolutely huge ax when the gate closed behind him and he walked further into the room, seeing a boar there as well, shocked when the creature struck it's own mount to get to Link, though he supposed he shouldn't have been with all he had seen of their cruelty.

He soon had the goblin subdued despite its huge weapon, using back slices, watching as it muttered something that sounded very uncomplimentary before stumbling away clutching it's shoulder, shocking Link when it locked him and the boar inside, lighting the room on fire.

Link wasted no time, jumping up onto the boar's broad back quickly, directing it out through the gate where he had entered, holding on tightly to the panicked animal as he crashed his way through several barriers in order to get away from the deadly fire, soon emerging in front of what looked to be a large coliseum of stone.

It was definitely impressive, whatever it was.

Link then backtracked to the room where the goblin had been, making sure that the fire was out before going back inside, shifting briefly to wolf in order to drive away the ghost that he found there after reclaiming what it had stolen before returning to the boar, which was still shaking with fright, patting his thick neck to calm him before walking up the large flight of stone steps just ahead.

He found another ghost to the left of the doorway at the top of the steps, shifting to wolf form again briefly to dispatch it from this world by taking it's stolen soul, going to the right of the doorway then and lighting two floor lanterns, a blue and silver chest appearing that contained a purple rupee.

Link then decided reluctantly to take another nap before entering the coliseum, so he curled up near the chest, closing his eyes and leaning against it as he drifted into sleep. **(This would be interesting fanart as well, yes? I like things that show Link as human, because he is, just as much as all of us, despite his race. He gets tired sometimes, just like all of us. Everyone deserves love, regardless of race, religion, or orientation. :))**

* * *

><p>When he woke again it was truly morning now, the sun up high in the sky, so he decided to teleport to Kakariko Village once again.<p>

His water was almost gone now, and he had enough rupees for the repair of the broken bridge that would soon lead to Castle Town again.

He went into the shop after drinking the rest of his spring water and refilling the bottle, putting it away into his endless pouch, knowing it would stay pleasantly cool in there, giving all four hundred rupees to the Goron elder the same way that he had before.

"Glorious day! We have collected enough funds to finance repairs to the bridge connecting east Castle Town to Hyrule Field, my Brudda!" the Goron said happily.

"Those corrupt, price-gouging shops in Castle Town are officially on notice!-" Malo spoke up from behind his counter. "-Soon they will rue!"

"We hope you will continue your financial support of our efforts to sell products in the town at discounted prices, my Brudda!" the elder said to him, his expression hopeful.

"I will," Link promised him. "I'll return with more as soon as I can."

Malo and the elder nodded gratefully, and Link departed the shop with a smile, traveling back to the desert quickly.

* * *

><p>Once he made his way back to the coliseum from Gerudo Mesa, he started inside cautiously, slightly unnerved by the sounds that he heard coming from within.<p>

He wasn't pleased either when he saw that the first room he entered was full of sinking sand, but thankfully he was able to bypass all of it by using the clawshot, jumping across three secure platforms and one that was not-so-secure to reach another secure place to stand, killing several large sand-bugs when they attacked him.

Then he crossed quickly over the shifting sands to another secure platform, and from there to another, killing a strange skeleton creature when it appeared and attacked him, followed by two more when he used the clawshot to latch onto a metal handle that was connected to a chain in the wall, taking hold of it with his hands to pull, letting go and crossing quickly to the gate that it had opened on the far side of the room from where he had entered at.

Link then walked up a stone ramp, in between two sets of steps on either side of it that the gate had concealed, turning to the right to find a plain decorative pot full of oil, using it to refill his lantern before going to the left of the steps this time, crossing some sinking sand quickly to find a chest containing a small key, gasping as he was suddenly swarmed by a large nest of black beetles, shuddering as they speedily crawled up his boots and all over his body, drawing his blade and performing a spin attack to fling them all off of him, practically running as he left that room, unlocking the door ahead and going through quickly into sudden and surprising darkness.

He let his eyes adjust a little before he pulled out his lantern, fighting an army of the animated skeleton creatures, then used his lantern to light two floor torches on either side of the door on the opposite side of the room from where he had entered, going through that door into a large room.

He walked forward, watching as four invisible ghosts came out of a large open doorway at the top of a set of stone steps, watching as they took away the lights on either side of the stairway, causing a large metal gate to clang shut quickly, the unseen ghosts all surrounding him for a moment before three of them left the room quickly with the stolen lights.

Link then shifted to wolf and stunned the single ghost left, surprised to find that it was bigger then any of it's brethren that he had yet found so far, ripping it's stolen soul from it's chest and driving it back to where it came from, sending the light that it had stolen back to where it belonged, sniffing it's lingering scent so that he would be able to track the others to wherever they had gone.

He found two chests in this room, one containing this dungeon's map, the other a piece of a heart container.

Then he shifted back to wolf, following his nose to a small patch of dirt up against the far right wall of the room, digging there to reveal a metal handle, taking it in his strong jaws and pulling it back until the chain went taunt, opening a secret passageway of stone steps that led down to the basement.

Link went through the door at the bottom of the steps, still in wolf form, so Midna opened it for him with her power, entering a round circular room with another flying skull with wings like had been guarding one of the trunks in the other room, and a strange stone lever in the middle of the room.

Link pushed his shoulder against the lever to turn it, opening the way to a secret room, killing the freaky walking mummy within when it rose up to attack him, claiming a red rupee for his trouble, as well as a small key in the golden chest there.

Link shifted back to his human form then, looking up at the ceiling near where the mummy had been, seeing a hole, using his clawshot to grapple up through it, landing in a room full of rats that were obscenely gnawing on bones with their long teeth, killing them all before going through the only door in the room.

Link could see the ghost just ahead, so he shifted to wolf form before entering the shadowed round room, killing two more skulls with wings before locating the ghost among the many hanging lanterns by using his senses.

The creature didn't put up much of a fight, and soon Link was ripping it's stolen soul from it's chest, freeing the stolen light from the lantern before heading back to the large room quickly, watching the light appear and take up it's place across and back from the other.

Link used his senses once again, going through the door above the one that led to the basement, surprised to find that he was in the room where the rats had been, though he supposed he shouldn't have been, seeing quickly that another path had been opened here when he had turned the pillar below, going through the locked door ahead using a key.

The room that he entered contained yet more sinking sand, so he crossed over it carefully in the far left of the room, avoiding several rows of spikes when they popped up out of the quick sand, killing a winged skull when he reached the other side.

He pulled a large hollow crate into place between two platforms, climbing the stairs that it had been blocking, climbing up over a short wall to his left when a large chandelier blocked his way, taking hold of a metal handle there and pulling until the chain went taunt, letting go to jump down to the steps and run beneath the now raised chandelier to keep going forward.

From there he went up a long flight of stone steps, killing three winged skulls before entering the next chamber to find a statue of a man atop a round pillar with a stone tablet in front of it with the Insignia of Hyrule upon it, finding a chest just behind it that contained the compass.

Link turned the statue to reveal two hidden openings, choosing the path to the left first, cutting through a weak wooden barrier with his sword, killing another mummy to collect a red rupee and a small key from a chest there, leaving that chamber to return to the other and taking the right path this time, unlocking and going through the door there.

He wandered through the labyrinthine hallway there, killing an army of animated skeletons as well as two mummies, scenting the air, locating another small patch of dirt, digging down to find another metal handle, pulling on it to open up another secret room, finding a third ghost inside, proceeding to take it's stolen soul and free it's stolen light before moving on to the next room quickly.

He found a small gold chest containing a key on the left side of the room, surprised when the room suddenly went dark and he quickly felt something crawling all over his fur, using his senses, slightly freaked, his skin crawling as he discovered a pack of ghosts rats, flinging them off quickly, killing them all, shuddering as he left to go to the next room using the key that he had just found.

He emerged above the big room, watching the light that he had just freed sail over to its brethren, using his senses now, crossing the chandelier to the other side of the room when he picked up the trail of the fourth and final ghost, going through the door there.

He turned to the right and went down some stairs, pushing another crate into place, locating a chest containing a red rupee behind it.

Then he crawled up onto the crate, tugging on another chain he found there to lift a chandelier, finding a chest containing a red rupee on the other side of it.

Then he lifted up the chandelier again after returning to the other side with the help of the clawshot, this time standing below the chandelier and waiting for it to drop down around him, using it to cross to the door on the far side of the chamber.

He went forward into the next room after cutting away a weak wooden barrier with his sword, finding supplies and health all through the room, surprised when a gate suddenly slammed shut over the door that he had just come through, but shocked when a tall animated skeleton warrior rose up from the floor to do battle with him.

He cut the creature down quickly, a horrified look on his face when it merely rose again and slumped toward him across the floor.

This time he cut it down and used a bomb on it, relieved when it seemed to work, another passageway opening for him to go through.

He crossed the sinking sands after climbing two flights of steps, seeing six floor lanterns in front of a large statue of a woman with a large snake wrapped 'round her neck and draped over her body, lighting the torch furthest to his left, as well as the one in front of all the others with his lantern, opening yet another secret way that led to a door, crossing the sinking sand quickly in order to go through it.

The fourth ghost was a little trickier then the others, but nothing that he couldn't handle, and soon he was reclaiming all the property that it had stolen, going back to the main room and watching the last light return to it's place, opening the gate once again.

Link got out his water, taking a long drink, offering some to Midna as well, which she accepted, though she only drank a little, and he placed it back inside his endless pouch carefully before going up the stairs and through the doorway there.

He went to the right, going through another door, jumping down into a long shaft containing a corkscrew, turning the lever to raise the floor, finding many small chambers as well as a small key, lowering the floor now to find the door that held the lock that the key opened at the very bottom of the shaft, unlocking it and going through the door.** (Please tell me that I'm not the only one with her mind in the gutter for this paragraph?.. O'o He, he.. ;))**

Link avoided the spike in the next room while clearing it of ghost rats and a mummy, finding a chain in the far left corner that he used to open the gate to the next room, using platforms to cross the sand there where he could, avoiding spinning spikes along the walls as well as beetles to find a pot, on the opposite side of the room from the next door, that shattered, out popping a familiar face.

"Phew! Free at last!-" Ooccoo crowed in delight, looking up at Link gratefully. "-Gracious… You're that nice fellow who helped me out the other day! How nice to see you again! Well, now that we've found each other again, let's stick together for a bit, hmm? I'll be right with you, so if you want to warp out, just let me know!"

Link nodded, watching her fly up to land on his right shoulder with a smile, going through the door on the right side of the chamber from the entrance.

He was immediately swarmed by beetles, flinging them off with his sword spin quickly, avoiding the large, sharp rotating spike bar in the middle of the room to get to the other side safely, killing three of the animated regenerating skeleton warriors in the next room, opening the large gate in the previous room, backtracking and going through it, making his way over an incline of sinking sand using blocks to get to the upper level of the next room, going up a flight of steps and through another door.

Inside the chamber was a giant ghostly swordsman, so Link had to use his senses to see him, jumping up quickly when it became solid, latching onto it's thin neck with his jaws, hurting it enough that it shrieked in pain and rage before becoming visible.

Link shifted to human then, using his beloved bow to bring the creature low three times so that he could use his sword to dispatch it back to the underworld, along with it's obviously Demon Blade, quickly going through the gate that opened with the spirit's death.

He jumped down into the next chamber and went up a flight of steps, opening a blue and silver chest there that contained an odd looking contraption called the spinner.

Link used the thing to ride the rails on the nearby walls back to the door, leaving the room, using it in that room too to ride up and to the right to another door, going through to find a room full of rails.

Link rode them all over the room, finding a piece of heart below another statue of the snake woman, a yellow rupee, and, after a long set of rails where he had to spin back and forth through the air to avoid more spikes, the next door.

He went through it, very pleased when he found the black chest with the red jewel on its lid, opening it to withdraw the big key from its dark depths.

Then he rode the rails from there into another room.

The same room, in fact, that led to the corkscrew shaft, **(He, he.. ;)) **only now noticing that there were gears in the floor, deciding to try and use the spinner to turn them.

Surprisingly, it worked, opening up a secret passage to a new chamber, using the spinner to ride the rails all the way up to the top, spinning off the rail quickly to reach the high platform in the middle of the room, using the spinner again to raise up a rail from the sands that went even higher, going up it quickly on the spinner to reach the door to the Boss chamber.

Link went in after drinking a little more water, putting it away again when Midna too had had a drink, unlocking the door and going inside.

He walked forward into the room, surprised to find the skeleton of this temple's monster lying at the bottom of a pit of sand, knowing from the lack of smell that it had been dead a long time, walking down a stone incline toward the remains cautiously, sword in hand, shield up, just incase it might not be as dead as it appeared to be.

With everything else he had encountered in this place, it wouldn't really surprise him.

He was shocked, however, when he heard low, mocking laughter, Zant appearing above the huge skull of the monster, speaking to Link alone this time, perhaps thinking that Midna was dead, him being unable to save her after what Zant had done to her.

"You still live… How astonishing. No wonder some call you "Hero". But this is truely a bittersweet reunion. Truely. For I fear this is the last time I will see you alive!"

Link watched in horror, unable to stop the man as he stabbed a Dark sword that he was suddenly holding deep into the top of the skull, bringing it to life before vanishing quickly like the coward he was.

The skeleton roared loudly, obviously very angry to be woken from it's eternal rest as it stared Link down imposingly before pulling back after a moment.

But Link wasn't intimidated, though he _was _man enough to admit that the poor creature was a horrific sight, walking back up the stone incline, quickly using the spinner to repeatedly attack the creature's venerable vertebrae, watching it howl before it's eye sockets drained of life before it sank into the sand, then the sand shifted from the room, revealing the creature's skull, as well as a place to use the spinner.

Link spun it quickly, raising the platform he stood on, about to exit the room, shocked when the creature's skull came to life once more, knocking him back off the platform onto his back on the sand, but he rallied quickly, using the spinner once again, avoiding the skull's fire-ball attacks until he was close enough to strike it with the spinner's teeth, knocking it to the sand below and going after it with his blade numerous times until the creature was finally dead, putting his sword away with a dramatic flourish.

"All right, Link, let's go!-" Midna said, popping up out of his shadow to look toward where a bridge had come out to cross the chasm that the doorway that they needed to take lay across.

"-We're close to the Mirror of Twilight…"

Link picked up the heart container that the creature had left behind, then crossed the chasm via the bridge, entering the doorway, coming out outside the coliseum, climbing a long set of winding steps before emerging on the roof to finally find the Mirror Chamber.

Unfortunately, he was ambushed by five twilight monsters then when a portal formed overhead, letting him know that Zant knew he had not perished as he had expected him to, careful to kill the last two at the same time before riding up a rail that was twisted around yet another statue of the woman and her snake, using the spinner again at the top to raise a large black stone wrapped in chains up out of the sand, as well as a small platform.

Midna floated over to the platform, her face shocked, then angry, growling and baring her fangs when she saw that the mirror was broken, only one piece of it left here.

Strange men, whom Link guessed to be Sages of some kind from their garb, appeared, starting to speak to Link softly.

"A dark entity lurks in the twilight… It houses an evil power…-" they all spoke as one.

"-You who are guided by fate… You who possess the crest of the Goddesses… Hear us. At the Command of the Goddesses, we Sages have guarded the Mirror of Twilight since ancient times. You seek it… but the Mirror of Twilight has been fragmented by mighty magic. That magic is a _dark_ power that only _he_ possesses… His name is… _Ganondorf_. He was the leader of a band of thieves who invaded Hyrule long ago in the hopes of establishing dominion over the Sacred Realm. He was known as a demon thief, an evil-magic wielder renowned for his ruthlessness… But he was blind… In all his fury and might, he was blind to any danger, and thus was he exposed, subdued, and brought to justice.

Yet… By some divine prank, he, too, had been Blessed with the Chosen power of the gods.-"

Link was relieved when the sequence of disturbing images the Sages were showing to him mentally was over, though he was sorry that the men had lost one of their brother's to this man's, this monster's, rage, listening in silence as they continued to speak.

"-His abiding hatred and lust for power turned to purest malice… Perhaps that evil power has been passed onto Zant…"

"You're just now figuring out where Zant got his power?-" Midna scoffed scornfully where she sat leaning against the broken mirror shard staring at the ground dejectedly.

"-It's far too late…"

"Only the _true leader_ of the Twili can utterly destroy the Mirror of Twilight…-" the Sages continued to speak softly.

"-So Zant could merely break it into pieces. Once broken by magic, the Mirror of Twilight became fragments, which even now lie hidden across the land of Hyrule. One is in the _snowy mountain heights_… One is in an _ancient grove_… And one is in _the heavens_…-"

Midna flew up beside Link as they spoke, placing her tiny hands on his left shoulder as they both looked up at the Sages together.

"-You who have been Sent by the Goddesses… You should be able to gather the three pieces… But you must be prepared, for a dangerous power resides in those fragments…"

Link and Midna nodded at each other, needing no words to make obvious their determination in this matter, Midna shifting her newly adopted brother back to wolf and taking them both away back to Castle Town.


	16. Chapter 16 The Snow Temple

**Thank You for your reviews! :**

**Writer-Girl-19, TheMysticalQ, darkyami1214, Jasminiasa1, Scarlet Fury, fatetinhour, Kaoru Tezuka**

**Author's Note :**

**Again, I'm sorry for the long wait for this chapter, but I'm sure you understand why they take so long by now. ****And I'm afraid it's only going to get longer as they go along. **

**You see, this chapter, over _half_ of it is _original content_, and that takes time to create and blend with the story effectively so that it doesen't feel made up by me, like something fake that someone just threw into the story for their own amusement. **

**I want it to _feel_ real, like it actually _could_ have happened in _Twilight Princess_, that's what I'm aiming for here. **

**This story is, in my opinion, _Epic_, so I don't want to destroy all the _very hard _work that I've put into it's 'pages' by trying to hurry and update. **

**I'm that way with all my stories, but, this one especially I don't want to mess up in any way. **

**I know it's vexing to you, it's vexing to me, too, but, it'll be worth all our patience when we can finally all sit down and read the entire story in one go. **

**I know I'm looking forward to that day immensely! :) ****So, patience, one and all, yes? :)**

**Anyway, enough important babble from me. **

**Let's get to what we all really, really want, the CHAPTER! FINALLY! :)**

**I hope the intensity and beauty of the love-scenes makes up for the lack of them in the previous _fifteen_ chapters! ;)**

**I hope there aren't too many for your tastes. **

**The sudden influx of love-making did overwhelm my poor brain for a minute or two. :) **

**ENJOY, really. I mean it! Lol. :) ****And, please, REVIEW! :) **

**It gives me pleasure to hear how much you love my work. **

**That's the only payment I get for giving you all of my free time. :)**

**~Sweet-Hearted SilverEars~**

**Chapter 16 Visit To Agitha, Jovani, And Telma's Bar **or** Making Love With Ralis **or** Coming Out In Kakariko **or **Going** **Home To Zora's Domain **or **Ralis The Zora Meets Peter The Goron **or **Declarations, Promises And Vows **or **Watching The Sunset And Moonrise **or** Announcements To The People **or **The Mating And Coronation Ceremonies **or **On The Way To The Snow Beast And The Second Mirror Shard **or** The Snow Temple**

Midna shifted Link back to his human form when they appeared just outside Castle Town, sliding back into his shadow before he moved to cross the bridge, stopping when he was ambushed by the mailman once again.

"Mr. Link! WAAAAAAIT!-" the man yelled out, running up to him quickly before continuing to speak.

"-Greetings, Mr. Link! I have come to deliver a letter. It is a letter from Barnes. Well, my business is concluded! Onward to mail!"

The man ran back into Castle Town, and Link followed after him at a slower pace, not even bothering to open Barnes's letter, knowing that he'd be going back to Kakariko village soon enough, first heading to the eastern gate to see the Goron child's father.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh…-" the Goron rumbled, his voice like large boulders falling together down a mountain.

"-I do not feel like doing a thing… Now the bridge is fixed, but my body feels terrible. I just cannot go look for stuff to sell… You know, all I really need is to shower myself with some piping hot spring water to get back to feeling normal…"

"I bring you some when I can," Link promised him. "Probably soon."

"Oh. Thank you, brother!"

"You're welcome."

From there he headed back into town, making his way to Agitha's castle and going inside.

He gave her the male dayfly that he had found in the desert, then the female, grinning at her happy expression.

"Oh, oh, oh boy!-" she cooed softly. "-Who's your friend? You're a li'l boy dayfly! Aren't you, you li'l cutie? Li'l dayfly, li'l dayfly, I want to take your colorful tail and make the loveliest braid ever… Oh, boy, thank you so much! I'm so happy! Allow me to share this happiness with you!-" she gave him fifty rupees, then he gave her the female dayfly.

"-Oh, yes! We have a pair! Don't those li'l bugs look happy? Allow me to share this happiness with you!-"

Link was shocked when Agitha gave him an orange rupee before continuing to speak.

"-Twenty one bugs left until I have them all… Oh, I hope that you'll keep bringing them here! You will, right?"

"Of course, little sister," Link promised her. "I'll return soon."

Agitha giggled as Link reached out to touch the top of her head, petting her hair affectionately like a big brother would, nodding to him and waving goodbye as she watched Link depart her home, sitting down on one of her chairs, watching the bugs as she waited for Phillep to arrive after he was finished working for his master.

From there, Link headed for Jovani's house, as he now had the twenty ghost's spirit's that he had requested, ignoring the mewing cats for the moment in order to shift to wolf and dig his way inside.

"You did it!-" Jovani crowed triumphantly. "-I can move again! This is all thanks to you, right? Oh, I have to thank you… Will this do?-"

Jovani reached into his back pocket now, giving him a bottle of the Great Fairy's Tears, a strange purple liquid that was sacred water that contained the Great Fairy's prayers.

"-Ah ha ha ha! I hear you can get this stuff in the cave on the western edge of the Gerudo desert, too! But… My body is still golden… Does this mean my soul is still not whole? That's strange… Maybe we need the souls of sixty ghosts… Can I ask another favor of you, doggie? Can you defeat more ghosts? Just forty ghosts more…"

Link nodded, figuring that since he had already gathered twenty of the ghosts, he might as well get the rest, too.

How hard could it be?

Jovani's cat was free now, and it spoke to him.

"Say, you're the one who fixed my master up, right? I own you! My names Gengle. I'm the leader of the cats outside. Well, well… Now that I can move, maybe I should go outside and breathe some fresh air…"

Link nodded, turning away to dig his way back outside, having Midna shift him back to human before he headed for Telma's bar now, where she suggested where he should go next.

"Now I'm not doubting you, honey,-" Telma said after greetings were exchanged. "-but if you're wondering what you ought to be doing, you ought to go and talk to our friend Ashei. She's up on Hyrule's northern mountain checking things out, and she's got good instincts, trust me.

If you need detailed directions, just take a peek at that map on the table."

Link nodded, going to the backroom where Shad and Auru sat, along with the man that Link didn't know.

"Say, Link!-" Auru said when he saw him. "-You're alive and well! Tell me, did you find anything of interest at the Arbiter's Grounds in the desert?"

"Yes, I did," Link replied with a smile. "I met the Sages."

" The Sages… Those Sages once served the royal family, actually. They were appointed as tutors to the young princess Zelda. It was from them that I first heard tales of the accursed mirror in the Arbiter's Grounds."

Link nodded, moving now to check the map.

"Ashei mentioned Snowpeak Mountain and headed off…" Shad said to him.

Link nodded again, seeing that the mountain was near Zora's Domain, pulling out his map to mark the place on it before putting it away again.

"I'd better go and see her. I'll decide what to do from there.."

* * *

><p>He left the bar, and the town, warping through the portals to Zora's Domain, soon finding Ashei down stream from there by entering the cave that had previously been frozen over, coming out overlooking a frozen arctic wasteland.<p>

Ashei was wearing white-fur protective garments to keep warm here.

"Link,-" she said, removing her head covering to speak to him. "-What brings you to a dangerous place like this? Ever since Zora's Domain got covered in ice, this mountain's been much colder then usual, yeah? Not only that, but I heard a really weird story from the Zora's. Apparently, the beast that lives somewhere on this mountain has been seen frequently in Zora's Domain. I was curious, so I came and waited…and as they'd said, a giant appeared!"

"Really?" Link asked her curiously.

"Yeah, it looked like this…-"

She handed Link a sketch that she had drawn of the creature that she had seen, and it was holding a red fish in one large hand.

"-Apparently, this things been stealing red fish from the village. I want to investigate further… but I can't even see the path through this blizzard, yeah? I'm sure you're here because you're curious about the mountain, but you'd best not go without a plan. If you go into this blizzard without a plan, you'll get lost… and that'll only lead to disaster, trust me. The only clues we have right now are the stories of the Zoras and my sketch. It's not much, I know."

"I'll figure out a plan, Ashei. I always do. Thank you."

She nodded, watching him turn away with a polite dip of his head as he tucked her sketch into his endless pouch carefully before leaving the cave.

He quickly showed Ashei's sketch to the male Zora guard just outside the cave, hoping for more information to go on.

"Hey, the beast of Snowpeak… Oh! The red fish it's holding! That's a reekfish!-" he said upon seeing the drawing.

"-Ah… So the beast has been showing itself because it's been catching reekfish… We didn't think that anyone besides Prince Ralis was capable of catching this type of fish!"

"So, I should seek out the prince's aid in this matter?"

"Yes, I should think so."

"Thank you.. Um.."

"Zaptura."

"Thank you, Zaptura. I appreciate your help."

"You are most welcome, Hero. The tales of your amazing deeds are beginning to spread like Din's Fire throughout the lands."

"Please.." Link said, looking uncomfortable with his words. "I am Link, not 'hero', I am only the Goddess's humble Vessel. I do as they Command of me."

The Zora man nodded, watching in silence as Link slipped back into the cave.

From there, he traveled quickly through the portals back to Kakariko village with Midna's help.

* * *

><p>She shifted him back to human form, going into his shadow again as he set off up the street from the spring, turning left to go up the wooden steps and into Malo's shop.<p>

Once inside, he spoke to the Goron elder, donating all three hundred and fifty five of the rupees that his wallet held, adding them to his previous contributions with a smile.

"We have only one thousand six hundred forty five Rupees left!-" the Goron elder said happily. "-Thank you for your cooperation, Brudda!"

"Of course, Brother. I'll return with more when I can."

When he then left the shop, he decided to search all the empty buildings in the village for anything that might be useful before continuing on to Ralis, finding a female ant for Agitha, as well as two green rupees inside the only building that he could get into.

Then, he headed for the graveyard.

* * *

><p>He reached the tunnel, ignoring the new nest of crows that had replaced the old one in the tree there, crawling through to the other side, stripping down to his cream-colored undershirt and pants after removing his shield, quiver of arrows, and his sword's sheath, taking only the sketch with him, holding it secure in his teeth so that it wouldn't get wet as he swam across to the gravestone, removing it only after he had climbed out of the water and cast a drying spell on himself.<p>

Then he spoke to Ralis.

"Link…-" the Zora boy said softly when he stood up from where he knelt by the stone there.

"-What would my mother have thought of me?-"

He looked down and to his left, at the ground, as he spoke, then back up at Link.

"-I've been thinking on it a lot ever since you left, and.. I still have so little confidence in myself… What can a pitiful Zora like me do?-"

He looked down again, then back up shyly.

"-I am not sure I can be of any use at all… … …Can I?"

"I believe that I told you to stop talking like that, Ral," Link said sternly, his love for the Zora prince so obvious in his eyes.

"You are a beautiful person, and this world would be a much sadder place without you in it. Your people need you in order to get through these hard times. _I_ need you. _I love you_, and I won't have you talk about yourself that way. Is that understood?"

"_Oh_,_ Link_.." Ralis sighed, a happy little smile curving his lips. "I love you, too. I'm sorry. I'll try to do better.. I promise."

"You're doing fine, Love, but, you can start with this, please? I need your help, Ralis. I need information."

Link held out the sketch to him now, and Ralis took it from him with a wide-eyed expression, speaking quickly in his excitement at the thought of being able to help Link somehow.

"Hmm… The beast-man of the snowy mountain…perhaps? But more important is this red fish it is holding… It must be a reekfish. That is a rare specimen found only in the Zora village. It feeds on a valuable type of coral, and without that bait, even our best fishers cannot catch one. Look closely, Link… My earring is made of this coral. I would like to give it to you.-"

Ralis reached up, unhooking the beautiful coral earring from his ear carefully, holding it out to Link with a soft-eyed smile as the Hylian took it in his suddenly shaking hands.

"-Consider it a token of my love, the love that I hold for you,-" Ralis continued quietly.

"-I received it from my mother… But it is fine. I no longer need it. As I look at you, I get a sense of what my mother wanted, what I should be doing now… I will return to my village soon. The reekfish can be found near the Mother-and-Child Rocks in the waterfall basin near my village. The fish are red, so I think you should be able to spot them…"

"Oh, Ralis.." Link breathed softly, obviously feeling honored, awestruck by his words and actions as he held the coral earring reverently in his hands. "Thank you, my Love. I will take care of, and treasure it, always, as I will your heart.."

Ralis blushed red, watching Link reach up to his left ear, removing the small, blue metal hoop there, replacing it with Ralis's token of love, holding out the earring to him with a smile, pleased when he took it without hesitation, placing it within his own ear where the coral hook had been securely.

"Consider it a token of my love for you, Ralis," Link said with another smile, grunting softly in surprise when the boy suddenly threw himself into Link's arms, pressing his lips to the Hylian's when he picked him up so that his small webbed feet left the ground and he was on Link's level, the older man suddenly kissing him back with equal enthusiasm.

"_Ohh_, _Link_!" Ralis moaned softly against his mouth, twinning his arms around his neck unconsciously as he pressed himself as close to him as he could get, even lifting his legs up to hook them around the other male's waist securely.

"_I've missed you_.. _So much_.. _Please_, _make love to me_!"

Link pulled back from the kiss reluctantly, staring down into Ralis's slightly dazed, gorgeous sea green eyes, feeling his smaller body trembling against his with his eagerness.

"Here? Are you sure?"

"I can think of no place more fitting. Celebrating the joys of life, of our love, in the place where my parents slumber. It feels right, somehow.. Please, Link?.. I need you.."

"Alright," Link said with a nod, going to his knees in front of the blue stone, carefully as Ralis was in his arms still, laying the boy down on his back gently, vaguely registering in his mind that Ashei's sketch lay discarded on the ground by the boy's head as he moved atop him, pressing their bodies together, causing the both of them to shudder as sparks of pleasure lit off instantly in response, leaving the boy's elaborate necklace 'round his neck, as well as the anklet on his left ankle, but he did remove the rope from his waist that held what he thought was a light-blue canteen of water, placing it on the ground near the stone before placing his hands on either side of the boy's head, lowering his head down to press his lips to his mouth, starting to kiss him again tenderly.

Ralis gasped, moaning softly in reaction, kissing him back as he arched his spine, pressing closer to Link hungrily, his legs falling open, instinctively wanting more contact, his soft thighs cradling Link's hips as they were suddenly pressed as close together as they could be without having actual sex.

Link shuddered again, groaning as he reached down between them then, his right hand slipping between Ralis's legs, his fingertips encountering at first only scales, but them the scales shifted slightly, moving a few inches only out from their original positions, revealing Ralis's soft, already slippery cock to his questing fingers as the Zora boy moaned softly with pleasure, yielding his innocent, virgin body to Link without any trace of hesitation whatsoever, the both of them trembling visibly as Link started to carefully stroke his Mate's second most intimate place.

"_Ohhh_, _Link_!" Ralis moaned low, panting softly as his cock quickly hardened in response to the stimulation of his lover's gentle hand on him so intimately.

"_Goddesses_, _yes_, _touch me_, _touch me_!"

"_Oh_, _Nayru's Love_, _Ralis_.." Link groaned at his passionate plea, starting to stroke him faster.

"_I love you_, _so much_!"

"_I love you_, _too_, _Link_!" Ralis moaned again, squirming with pleasure beneath the other man. "_Always_!"

Link increased his stroking again, and soon Ralis was screaming out his pleasure, and his name, coating his hand with a slick, almost silvery substance that had a consistency that was only slightly thicker then water as he ejaculated in rapid, seemingly endless bursts from his cock.

"_Ohhhh_, _Link_, _Link_, _Link_!" Ralis screamed, his muscles seizing and tensing as he cried out to his Mate in intense delight, spilling his seed for him quickly, quicker then he ever had before when merely touching himself when he was alone, slumping limply back to the ground as his eyes slid closed, a contented smile curving his lips as he listened to the beautiful sounds of splashing water as Link cleaned off his hand thoroughly, followed by Ralis's now-soft cock carefully.

Then the Zora boy's eyes opened again when he felt Link lift up his legs, spreading them gently before slipping a finger slick with Ralis's own release between his lower cheeks, once again poking around carefully, his exploration of his younger lover's body finding only scales at first like last time.

Ralis smiled up at him with soft sea green eyes, telling his scales to shift and move aside as he had before, revealing his soft, tight grayish-blue skinned hole to Link's gaze as he yielded himself to his Chosen Mate completely now, a slight shudder traveling through his body, gasping softly as Link's wet fingertip started to swirl around his hole gently, coaxing him to soften and open to him lovingly, whimpering quietly with pleasure when the finger then slipped inside him slowly, going as far as it could reach within him before pulling out, then slipping inside again, then out, then in, Link continuing this process for several long minutes that felt like an eternity to the Zora boy, only stopping when Ralis was so ready for him, until he looked like he was about to cry with his sexual frustration.

Only then did Link withdraw his finger from Ralis, reaching out to hold the boy's quivering legs steady as he smiled down at him, leaving his undershirt on, but shoving his pants down around his calves quickly before taking hold of his legs again, actually lifting his hips off the ground, shuddering in anticipation as he lined himself up with the boy's slick, dripping, ready entrance, starting to push his aching cock forward into him slowly, watching the sweet boy's face for any signs of pain.

There was clearly some hurt, because Ralis did wince slightly as he stared up at Link, but only once, his body softening quickly with his quiet sigh of pleasure at finally having Link inside of him, twinning his arms about the man's neck as they stayed like that, still for a moment or two as they just looked at each other.

Then, Link slowly started to move, both of them crying out together instantly at the pleasurable friction that they felt, the beautiful music of the boy's soft cries of joy, and Link's deep, huffing pants filling the hidden cavern as they made love, Ralis's small hips thrusting upward into Link's own movements, clinging to his lover as he trembled beneath his body, moaning at the stimulation to his hard, aching nipples as they fabric of Link's shirt rubbed across them repeatedly with his quick, determined thrusts inside his body.

Link thrust into him once more, faster then the other times before, and Ralis was coming again, screaming as he spasmed around Link's hard cock inside him helplessly, causing the older man to yell out his name in response, spilling the evidence of his pleasure deep inside Ralis's tightness as he continued to thrust inside him for several moments more.

"_Ohhh_, _Ralis_!" Link moaned, yelling as he came so hard his pointed ears rang with the force of his release.

"_Din's Fire_, you're so _hot_! You scald my soul with your enthusiasm.. You'll always be inside me, forever.." he promised him, slumping down weakly to lay atop the boy, careful not to hurt him, kissing his already kiss-swollen mouth gently for a moment before pulling back to speak to him softly, the pink coral earring swinging back and forth in his left ear with his movement.

"I love you so much, Ralis.. You're my everything, my sweet prince.."

"You're everything to me, too. Link?.."

"Yes, Beloved?.." Link asked him softly, causing Ralis to blush again and smile.

"Could.. Could you please get off me?.. I have something else to give you."

"Of course, Rali," he said with a nod, levering himself off of the boy reluctantly, though he didn't go far, sitting on his knees in front of him now.

Link cleaned them both of seed with water, then pulled his pants back up, tucking himself away inside them carefully, seeing Ralis's cock recede behind the scales between his legs once more, watching him expectantly as Ralis reached for the blue thing that had been tied with rope around his waist, opening it and shaking something tiny out of it into his hand, closing his beautiful sea green eyes and blowing on it gently before opening them again, the pair of them watching as it shifted and grew in his small hand quickly.

When it had stopped growing it was revealed to be a trio of rounded, beautiful deep-blue, flawless sapphires, held within a setting of obviously pure gold, Link's blue eyes widening as Ralis now held it out to him within both of his hands with a soft smile.

"It's called the Zora's Sapphire," he explained to Link quietly.

"It's been passed down through the Royal Bloodline for centuries, and is considered to be our people's most treasured possession. It has also been referred to as the 'Zora's Engagement Ring'. When it is Given to another by the most current Zora of Royal Blood, it means that they will be Mated. The Bond is absolute once that other accepts it, and cannot be disputed by anyone, even the Gods and Goddesses. If you accept this, it's Forever, and is as close as we can ever come to me handing you my very heart to hold. It means that everything I have is yours, and everything you have is mine. If you take this now, we shall always be as One."

Link nodded, swallowing visibly, but his hands were surprisingly steady as he reached out with clear reverence, his blue eyes intense, never leaving Ralis's sea green pair as he accepted Ralis's Claim on his heart, accepting their Claim on each other.

"I will cherish it forever," Link promised him, smiling as he placed it carefully beside them on the ground near Ashei's sketch, then held out his open arms to Ralis, pulling his close against his chest and laying his chin on Ralis's shoulder blade on the left side of his head, closing his eyes and just holding him tenderly, starting to hum happily without realizing it.

**(Play the Minuet of Forest from Zelda : Orcania of Time in your mind here, or, play it for real. :) That's what Link is humming. :))**

"What's that you're humming?.." Ralis asked him softly, causing Link to stop and open his eyes quickly.

"Huh?.." Link asked in confusion.

"You were humming," Ralis repeated with a slight grin. "I just wondered what it was."

"I don't know.." the Hylian admitted. "What did it sound like?.."

Ralis hummed the tune back to him perfectly, the vibrations traveling through the skin of Link's neck as they had through Ralis's skin before.

"I don't know," Link sighed when he had finished the tune, briefly looking irritated before his face smoothed quickly.

"I can't recall having ever heard it in my life you hummed it just now. I wish that I could remember my past.. Sometimes things slip through the block in my memory, like that song just now, and I had a vision when I found my sword and held it in my hand for the first time, but usually.. There's just.. nothing.. It's very frustrating. I suppose that all I can do is hope for it to be revealed when the time is right for it to."

"You're probably right," Ralis said sensibly, though he was sympathetic to his lover's plight.

"What was the vision of?"

"I was very young, a boy," Link answered him. "Curled up beneath the warm blankets in a bed that I've never seen before, but that I also remember as being mine once. I was.. happy, peaceful. I was very sleepy from playing all day in the forest. I could hear the sounds of my parents making love in the next room, then, I feel asleep, and the vision ended when I did. I think that it really happened, a long time ago, I just.. can't remember.."

Ralis smiled at him reassuringly, drawing him back into his embrace, feeling Link lay his chin back on his shoulder blade with a sigh, relieved when he again relaxed against him in response.

"You'll remember when the time is right, Link, I just know you will. But, for now, let's just be together, alone here, because the next time you seek me out, I'll be back in Zora's Domain, with the rest of our people."

"I'll escort you home myself," Link promised him softly.

"I don't trust anyone else with your safety for that long of a journey."

"Okay," Ralis agreed, eager to spend more time with his lover before they had to part again.

"How will we travel there?" **(Go to the end of the chapter to find Deleted Scene (1))**

"We'll tell everyone here that we're leaving on Epona, Love, but we'll go through the secret, underwater tunnel here that leads back to the lake. It's safer, for you, so I chose that route above all other possibilities."

"Of course. I trust you."

Link was surprised when Ralis drew him down with him as he laid down on his back again on the ground beside the grave, angling his lips up for a kiss by tilting his head back to bare his throat to him trustingly, sighing happily as Link gave him what he wanted, starting to rock his hips beneath him in a way that couldn't possibly be misinterpreted, shocking Link with his actions enough to make him pull back from the kiss reluctantly to stare down into his affectionate sea green eyes as the both of them panted softly as they looked at each other.

"Are you sure, Ral?.. You're not sore?.."

"No, I'm not sore. I never was. You took good care of me, great even. Please.. I want you inside of me, again. Always."

"Alright.."

Link checked him over when his scales parted again at Ralis's direction, surprised to find him still loose, damp and ready for him down there, so, he pushed his own pants down again and lined himself up once more with the opening to his body, pushing inside his lover slowly and carefully until he was fully within him, only starting to thrust when Ralis whimpered and moaned, begging him for it pleadingly through slightly parted, still kiss-swollen lips.

"_L-Link_!" Ralis begged him, shaking visibly when the other man took hold of his slick cock and started to stroke it gently when he sent it sliding out from beneath the scales between his legs invitingly.

"_Pl-Please_, _move_!"

Link nodded, lifting up Ralis's legs with his hands again, placing them in the same position as before while he started to thrust deep into Ralis quickly now, shuddering as he kissed the boy while he moved inside him, pleased when Ralis kissed him back eagerly as his soft, accepting body spasmed around Link's hard cock with his pleasure, moaning into their kiss loudly as his slim hips moved with the older man's as though they had been lover's all their lives, arching his spine unconsciously, breaking their kiss now as he screamed out his joy to the spinning heavens above them while he came for a second time, feeling Link shudder, hearing him groan as he once again released his hot seed inside Ralis's beloved body, laying down atop him carefully and placing his head on the boy's left shoulder after gazing at his beautiful face for a moment and kissing both of his cheeks gently, the enamored pair wrapping their arms around each other before drifting off together into dreams.

* * *

><p>The next morning Link and Ralis woke, swimming across the water in the hidden grave together, Ralis taking Ashei's sketch when Link wasn't looking and tucking it away into the pouch that had previously held the Zora's Sapphire, Link casting a drying spell on his underclothes before putting on his forest green tunic and gathering up his belongings, strapping on his weapons and placing Ralis's priceless gift to him safely within his endless pouch before crawling through the tunnel with Ralis behind him.<p>

Then they walked through the graveyard, linking their arms together as they did so.

"I assume that you'll want to say goodbye to everyone?" Link asked him softly.

"Only if there's time."

"For you, I make time. Besides, I need to go back to the same place that you do, anyway."

They came out behind Sanctuary now, and Ralis tried to pull away from Link, not wanting to rock the waters in his lover's life anymore then they already had been, but Link didn't release his arm as he stopped walking for a moment, drawing Ralis to a halt as well.

"Ral.."

"Yes, Link?"

"I.. I don't want to hide who I am, anymore. I want everyone here to know what we are to each other. Can we please tell them, before we leave?"

"Of course, Love. I don't want to hide, either. We have nothing to be ashamed of."

Link smiled, and they started to walk again, stopping when they came upon Beth standing at the crossroads.

Her blue eyes got big and round when she saw their linked arms, but she didn't comment on it.

"Beth.." Ralis began hesitantly, smiling up at Link briefly when the older man squeezed his small hand where he held it within his own reassuringly.

"Thank you, for.. for taking care of me whist I was ill. You've been a wonderful friend to me."

"Only a friend?" she asked with a blatantly obvious flirtatious grin.

"Yes, _only_ a friend," Ralis answered her firmly, unable to let such an obvious comment pass unanswered.

"I am already engaged, Beth."

"Really?.." she asked in genuine surprise. "But.. you're so young."

"Not by the judgment of my people. At sixteen, a Zora is considered almost a man. When I take my Mate, I will join the men of our tribe, and stand proud among them at last."

"Oh.. Who is your Mate?"

"I am," Link spoke up in answer now where he stood beside his Zora lover.

"Ralis is engaged to be Mated to me."

"Oh, my.. goodness.. But.. You're both men.."

Ralis shrugged with feigned nonchalance before saying in reply,

"It happens sometimes, Bethaney. What matters is that we love each other, regardless of our gender. It was always Fated to be this way."

"O-Of course," she said, stammering slightly. "As long as you're happy."

"We are."

"Okay, then, I guess."

"I wanted to say goodbye, Beth," Ralis informed her.

"I'll be returning home today. Link has business nearby, so he'll be escorting me safely there."

"Oh. Well, be.. safe, be careful," Beth said, stepping forward to hug Ralis goodbye as best as she could where he was still tucked against Link's side by his own will.

"I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too," he said truthfully, hugging her back with one arm for a moment before releasing when she did.

"I must say goodbye to the others now."

"Of course."

She waved to them both as the pair headed into Malo's shop next, and Ralis waved back for a moment with a smile before they disappeared inside.

* * *

><p>Malo's big blue eyes went wide and round when Ralis and Link walked through the door of his shop arm in arm and smiling at each other, but he shook off his surprise as his professional side came to the front.<p>

"What can I do for you two?"

"I've come to say goodbye," Ralis explained to him.

I'm going home today. Link is escorting me there on Epona."

"Really?.." Malo inquired, never having known Link to let _anyone_ on his beloved horse but himself.

"Well, I wish you both a safe journey. The world is most treacherous these days."

"Aye, it is," Ralis said in agreement, smiling up at Link teasingly.

"But, I have my Hero to protect me."

Link flushed with pleasure at his words, coughing softly to try to cover it up.

"Are you two doing it?.." Malo asked bluntly, looking up at them both from behind his counter through narrow eyes.

"I don't know what 'it' is, and I really don't care, but, you two are acting exactly like my parents do with each other, so, you must be doing it."

Link blushed even redder at his question, and Ralis laughed at his lover's obvious embarrassment, going up on tiptoe to kiss Link's right cheek gently before answering Malo's question.

"Yes, Malo," Ralis said honestly. "We _are_ 'doing it'.."

* * *

><p>Next they headed back up the street, passing Beth with smiles in her direction, stopping when they reached the double doors of the Sanctuary, Ralis sensing Link's sudden tension because their arms were still linked together.<p>

"What is it, Love?" Ralis asked him in concern.

"I'm just.. worried about how Ilia will react.." he answered his Zora lover softly.

"I.. I know that she doesen't remember me, but.. She asked for too much of me when she did know me. I refused her suit for my hand, and she became.. cold, bitter. She couldn't have more then friendship from me as she wanted, and so she chose to sacrifice even that to try and force me into marriage. She failed, obviously, but.. this.. her memory loss.. She's being so kind to me again, as she once was, but, I fear that this renewal of our friendship will only open us both up to more pain when she does remember me.."

"_Oh_, _Link_!" Ralis gasped, covering his mouth with his free hand as his sea green eyes went wide, obviously concerned for him.

"I didn't.. realize that things were so.. complicated between you two.. We don't have to tell her, Love. We can just leave, now, without even going in there?.."

"No, Ral, we can't. It wouldn't really make a difference, because she'd hear it from the others soon enough, but, I'm done with hiding who I am, and who we are together. No apologies, no regrets, alright? We are who we are, and I love you for who you are, Ralis. And, someday, I want the world to know it."

Ralis flushed pink, smiling up at him with obvious happiness, squeezing Link's hand gently with his own where their fingers were twinned together.

"I love you, too, Link, and, I want the world to know it also."

"Okay, then," Link said, smiling down at him tenderly before bending over slightly to kiss his lips lovingly, whispering against them,

"_Let's do it_."

**(Extended Scene) (I added this in after the chapter was completed, hence the 'Extended Scene'. :)) **

"Is that your only reason for wanting to tell her in person?.." Ralis asked him.

"Is that enough of a reason?.." Link asked him in perplexity.

"Yes, it is, Love, of course it is," the Zora boy reassured him. "I'm just curious, that's all."

"No, there is more, another reason. It's that.. There's a part of Ilia that.. still cares for me.. however deeply buried it may be. Even if she turns on me again when she gets her memory back.. I still want that part of Ilia to know that I still care about her pain.. To know that I did try to reach her, that I didn't just give up, you know?.. I want her to know that I didn't give up on her. I'm not sure if I ever truly will. She once meant a lot to me, too much for me to just give up on her completely. Can you understand that?.."

"Yes, my Love, I understand. The heart is a deeply complex, fragile thing.."

**(End Extended Scene)**

Both of them took a deep breath, perfectly in sync with each other, stepping through the doors as they pulled them open together..

* * *

><p>Renado and Ilia looked up when Link and Ralis came in together arm in arm, watching them as they walked over to them both, standing on the rug before them together.<p>

"Ralis?" Ilia asked before they could say anything. "How are you?"

"I am feeling much better, thank you, Ilia," Ralis answered her smoothly, revealing no hint of the fear for Link that he felt on his face, masking the emotion effectively as only a prince was trained to do.

"Actually, I came to say goodbye. I travel for home today."

"Are you sure that is wise?" Renado asked him in clear surprise.

"With everything that is going on out there, I thought that you might chose to stay here a while yet."

"My people need me," Ralis explained softly. "I cannot hide in a human village while they suffer with no one to lead them in these troubled times. My mother's Consort only has so much authority to make decisions, and will have even less when I return home to rule with my Mate at my side."

"You have a Mate?.." Ilia asked curiously.

"I am engaged to be Mated, yes."

"To who?.."

"To Link."

"Oh?.. I.. I thought that there might have been something between you two, but, I wasn't completely certain of it until now. I am happy for you both. Have a safe journey!"

* * *

><p>"Well, that wasn't as bad as I expected it to be," Link said as they left the Sanctuary together, closing the doors behind them before linking their fingers together impulsively.<p>

"But, I still don't trust her not to rescind her 'blessing' after she gets her memory back. Not, of course, that it will make much of any difference to us. The Gods and Goddesses themselves could not tear me from your arms, or you from mine, let alone only a jealous woman."

"I know that, Love," Ralis promised him. "We are meant to be."

"_Always_," Link said firmly.

"Ral?.. Would you take a walk up the mountain with me before we go?.. I'd like you to meet Peter. He's seen you once, because he was with me as I watched over you soon after you were brought here by me and Telma to be treated. He has been.. a very good friend to me, and knows of our relationship. I probably would have gone mad while you were unwell if not for his friendship and understanding. He was one of the first that I told of my love for you."

"Of course I will go with you, Link," Ralis promised him. "I would love to meet him, but why must we climb the mountain to do so?"

"Because, it is where he lives," Link explained to him with a smile, reaching out to touch the Zora boy's right cheek gently with soft fingertips.

"Peter is a Goron."

* * *

><p>Link and Ralis walked together arm in arm up the street toward where the trail that led to the mountain began, passing the bomb shop on the way, Link ignoring the cold, angry eyes of Barnes that he could feel on them both from one of the windows on the upper floor of his shop.<p>

Soon, the man's jealously and antagonism towards him wouldn't matter, because Ralis would be safety home, and Link's visits here would become even more infrequent then they already were.

Link shook his head subtly, banishing the thoughts from his mind as he led Ralis up the trail.

Reflecting on these things wouldn't change the end result, whatever it might be.

For now, he would just enjoy this time that he had with his lover, which was as it should be.

Ralis squeezed his hand with his, seeming to sense his rolling emotions and wishing to steady them, smiling up at him as they walked, his sea green eyes shining with love, Link smiling back at him before squeezing his hand in return.

They stopped walking when they reached the base of the high cliff where the Goron was still on guard.

"Brother Link!" he rumbled loudly with a wide smile. "You've returned! Brother Peter has been missing you."

"Actually, We're here to see Peter. This is my Mate. I want Peter to meet him. Would you mind awfully going up the mountain and asking him to come down, brother?"

"Well, I would, Brother, but, I'm supposed to be on guard here. The Elders orders, direct from the Patriarch, Darbus."

"Oh? How's he doing by the way? Has he recovered at all?"

"Some, yes, Brother Link. He is doing much better, thanks to you, and also to his Mate, Gor Coron."

"I am pleased by this," Link said truthfully. "I abhor the suffering and pain of others, as well as my own. I don't want you to be punished for doing what I asked, but.. Ralis shouldn't go all the way up the mountain. It's too hot and dry for him. I won't risk his health, not even to see Peter. I will return after I have taken Ralis home to Zora's Domain. Will you tell Peter that for me when you next see him, please?"

"Wait! You can't just leave like that! Peter would be most upset with me if he learned of it. I will.. I will go up the mountain and tell him to come down and see you. Nothing can get past you, anyway, Brother Link!"

"No," Link said softly, his firm tone of voice one that caused shivers to go up lesser man's spines, whether from fear, or something more then that alone.

"Nothing will.."

* * *

><p>Not even ten minutes later both Goron's came rolling back down the mountain, the guard resuming his post at the bottom of the cliff, Peter running to Link with a wide grin on his round, boulder-like face, stopping just in front of him and Ralis.<p>

"Brother Link! You've returned!"

"Aye, I've returned to see you, Brother," Link said with a slightly mischievous smile. "Go ahead, I know you want to, Peter."

Peter threw his head back and laughed gleefully, reaching out with his large hands to grasp Link around the hipbones, careful not to hurt him with his strength as he tossed him a few feet into the air above his head, catching him when he came back down again and lowering him back to his feet gently.

"So, Link," Peter asked him curiously now that they had greeted each other. "How have you been?"

"I am well, Peter," Link said with a smile, reaching out to take Ralis's hand in his again.

"Thank you. I brought someone to meet you. Ral, this is Peter."

"Ralis, Prince of the Zoras," the boy said, holding out his free hand to Peter with a smile.

"It's nice to meet the one who comforted my Love in his distress while I was so ill."

Peter blinked his large black eyes, and Link got the distinct impression that if Goron's could blush, Peter would be doing so.

"Well, you know, Link is my friend," Peter said, shaking the Zora's boy's outstretched hand for a moment before releasing it with a slight grin.

"I couldn't do anything less. It is nice to meet you, too. As the object of Link's undying love, you don't disappoint these eyes of mine now that you're well again."

"_Peter_!" Link gasped in shock, his blue eyes going wide, outraged at his friend's comments toward his Beloved Mate, but his anger drained away as fast as it had arrived when he heard Ralis laughing, his soft, tinkling giggles akin to the melodious sound of the flowing waterfalls of his lover's homeland, now Link's home as well.

"Oh, _Link_.." Ralis laughed breathlessly, holding his own heaving sides as he spoke to him playfully.

"Please, lighten up, my Love. He truly meant no harm with his words. I'm sure that I looked most awful when I was first brought here.

This truth will not hurt my feelings."

"_No_!" Link said, his serious tone causing Ralis's laughter to stop abruptly so that he could listen to his lover's words more clearly.

"You were sick, yes, and pale, but that was not your fault, and you were yet beautiful. As beautiful as you are to me now.

You will _always be beautiful to me_, even when we are old, and my golden hair has turned to silver with the obvious passage of time.

_Still will you be beautiful_, _and still will I love you_. I will _always_ love you, Ralis.

Even if I don't live for the rest of your life, I _can_ promise you that I _will _love you for the rest of mine, and that I will never leave you, no matter what form that I have to take to keep that promise and stay always by your side.

I'll never let go, Ralis, so promise me that you won't either, my Love."

"_Oh_, _Link_!.." Ralis gasped softly, moisture filling his sea green eyes at his lover's firm declaration of loyalty and love, welling up and releasing when he blinked, spilling down his red, blushing cheeks as he spoke softly in reply.

"I promise you so, forever. I love you, and, I'll never let go, Link, I'll never let go.."

* * *

><p>They stayed there and talked with Peter for another hour before heading back down the trail to Kakariko village arm in arm, waving goodbye as they went.<p>

**(Go to the end of the chapter to find Deleted Scene (2)**

Once they got back to the spring at the far end of the village, Link wrapped his arms around Ralis's smaller form, standing behind him as they embraced, Ralis sighing happily as he leaned back against the Hylian's strong body, Epona trotting over to them from where she stood at the edge of the nearby spring of sacred water, nickering softly in greeting to them both, sniffing at them curiously, obviously noticing that they were both thoroughly covered in each other's scents and smells, quieting then, seemingly pleased with this occurrence as she neighed for a moment with pleasure at her friend and Master's happiness, her large eyes containing much more intelligence there then a normal horse would possess.

Then he heard the sound of Ralis clearing his throat to get his attention, opening his blue eyes again to look at him in response, surprised to see Renado standing there, along with Colin and Luda, noticing what looked like a large forest green blanket in the Shaman's arms.

"Renado.. What is it?.." Link asked him, releasing Ralis from his arms reluctantly, but taking his right hand in his as he stepped closer to the shaman and the two children.

Renado smiled at him, unfolding the thing that he held, revealing it to be a forest green cloak with a deep hood, holding it out to him in offering.

**(Picture something similar to the cloaks given to the Fellowship in The Lord Of The Rings. :)) **

"I thought that these might be of some use to you both, Link," the shaman explained to him and Ralis with another smile.

"I call them look-away cloaks. I made them myself, though I haven't done so for many years, until now.

They will shield you both from scrying eyes on your journey. Please, accept them as my way of doing what I can to keep you, and your Love, safe."

"_Oh_, _Renado_.." Link gasped, his blue eyes widening as he took the cloak from his outstretched hands gratefully. "Thank you.. So much.."

"Of course," Renado said with a nod, gesturing to his daughter, and Luda stepped forward now to hand a second, slightly smaller cloak to Ralis before stepping back again.

Ralis and Link embraced the three of them, Renado, Luda, and Colin farewell in shifts, taking turns to say goodbye before tucking their cloaks away into their pouches for safekeeping, watching the three people head back into the Sanctuary where Ilia was hiding within, unable to remember why this turn of events should have her fighting mad.

**(Go to the end of the chapter to find Deleted Scene (3) **

* * *

><p>Link and Ralis returned to the graveyard together, crawling back through the tunnel into their secret grotto, the Zora Prince waiting patiently while Link changed into the Zora armor, putting his clothing and boots, as well as his sword, shield and quiver of arrows away into his endless pouch before they linked their hands together and jumped into the water, smiling at each other before diving down below the surface and swimming through the tunnel that connected the grave to the waters of Lake Hylia.<p>

They came out on the other side and ascended up to the surface, swimming together to the left while still holding hands, climbing up onto the wooden platform there, linking their arms together again, the pair smiling at each other happily.

They walked from there across the four mostly submerged islands, swimming through the water again for a short ways to reach another platform, Link casting a drying spell on himself as they walked together arm in arm past the entrance to the spirit's spring, then up the long wooden ramp just beyond it, pulling out and putting on their new cloaks when they finally reached the top, not wanting to be bothered by any of Link's enemies if they were watching, crossing the grass and then another short wooden bridge, climbing up the wooden ramp on the far side of the next grassy area, then a ladder after that.

Ralis went first with Link right behind him incase he might slip, Link assisting the boy up and over the lip of earth just above that, Ralis gracing his lover with a grateful smile as they linked arms again, walking a little ways before Link had to help pull his Mate up over another lip of earth.

From there they walked upward, holding hands until they reached the tall tower at the top, climbing up the ladder the same way as they had the other, much shorter one, finally reaching the top, turning to look out over the shining water together, smiling at each other as they held hands, then Link suddenly turned Ralis to face the desert, standing behind the boy and wrapping his strong arms around his body tenderly as they stood there and watched the sun slowly sink behind the sands, Link whispering in his Love's left ear as they did so.

"Is it not beautiful, my Love?.."

"Aye, it's beautiful.." Ralis said wonderingly.

Once the sun had gone down, the stars came out, the sky changing from glorious purple to beautiful inky blackness gradually.

The two lovers stood there in contented silence, watching the moon rise as Link held Ralis within his gentle embrace, the atmosphere about them infinitely peaceful.

Soon though, it grew cold, and Ralis was starting to shiver noticeably, so the pair decided to leave then and make their way up to Zora's Domain together now.

* * *

><p>Ralis waited patiently at the top of the highest waterfall in Zora's Domain as Link changed back into his forest green tunic, tucking the Zora armor away back into his endless pouch before taking out his gear, strapping his sword, quiver of arrows and shield onto his back before redonning his new cloak and fastening his belt around his waist, adjusting the pouch back into it's usual place, then linking his arm with Ralis's once more, holding his hand as well as they walked into the throne room at last.<p>

* * *

><p>Voices surrounded them, echoing throughout the chamber as Link and Ralis walked arm in arm toward the throne, soft murmurs of whispered conversation, exclamations of obvious joy and surprise at their Prince's sudden return, all of the Zora's that were present moving forward quickly now to stand on the steps below the throne in a group, their eyes watchful as Link released Ralis's arm, but not his hand, holding it within his as Ralis sat down upon the throne, moving to stand at his Zora lover's left side smoothly and without releasing his hand, proudly taking the place and position that Ralis had told him was reserved for the current ruler's Consort before they had entered here.<p>

It was also the place that belonged to the ruler's Mate, but as they were not yet officially Mated, at least in the eyes of their people, they would consider him to be Consort only until their Prince stated otherwise to them.

The former ruler's Consort, meaning Ralis's mother, the Queen, stepped forward to stand a foot or two back from the throne respectfully, addressing the boy only when Ralis nodded slightly, giving him permission to speak.

"Prince Ralis, you have returned to us safely. We were all most concerned for you when you did not come back home."

"Yes, I have returned," Ralis said softly, but loud enough that all in the room would be able to hear him easily.

"I thank you for your concern. I have been most unwell, and it has delayed my return here to you, but, thanks to the shaman, Renado of Kakariko village, I have fully recovered and am ready to move forward in my life. I wish for my Coronation to be held tomorrow, after our Mating Ceremony. I am to be Mated to this man here beside me, Link, who assisted me whilst I was ill by taking me to the shaman for treatment.

That is all that I have to say for the moment. I would speak with my mother's Consort alone now."

The group of Zoras below the throne all nodded to their Prince respectfully at his words, retreating out of hearing range, milling about the large room and whispering excitedly to each other about the news.

"I sense you have something to ask me," Ralis said, addressing his mother's Consort calmly.

"It is why I asked you to stay. You may speak your mind freely before us, and without fear of giving offense to me, Zakura."

"Thank you, my Prince," Zakura said with obvious relief.

"I only wondered if.. That is.. are you sure that you are not rushing into these decisions for our sake? I have cared for you as my own son ever since you were a small boy.. I know that I am not your real father, but in my heart, I am. I just do not want you to be hurt somehow by making choices now that will harm you later on. You are our ruler now, but, Ralis the man should come before Ralis the King.

The mind serves a man well, but to follow his heart is wiser."

"I understand, Zakura," Ralis said quietly in reply. "But I know what it is that I do. It is what my mother wants of me."

Zakura winced visibly at the mention of the Queen and his former lover, his emotional wounds at her passing obviously still raw and painful, but he nodded slowly as he inquired further of her son.

"But, is it what _you_ want, my Prince?"

"It is," Ralis said firmly, nodding his head regally in answer, his sea green eyes softening briefly with his emotion.

"_I_ have Chosen Link to be my Mate. I love him. The Sapphire has been Given."

Zakura gasped softly in reaction to Ralis's words, obviously retreating from the conversation now, though he didn't move physically, as there was nothing more to say.

The Ruler gave the Zora's Sapphire to their True Mate, the only one who could touch all of the deepest recesses and caverns of their heart, and could not be challenged by anyone, even the Goddesses.

"I understand, and am silent," Zakura said, speaking the official words to let Ralis know that there would be no more argument from him on the matter.

"Thank you, Zakura."

"As my Sovereign wills it."

"As I will," Ralis agreed with another nod in his direction. "Will you please begin the necessary preparations for the ceremonies tomorrow?"

"I will, my Prince."

"Then I entrust this to you. That is all. You may go now."

"Of course, my Prince," Zakura said, bowing formally toward Ralis, as well as Link, casting a brief, curious glance at the obviously Hylian male's face before retreating silently to leave them alone together.

* * *

><p>Ralis led Link by the hand into his room behind the throne so that they could talk in private, first leading him through his mother's former sleeping chambers as they led to his own, letting go of his hand reluctantly to gesture for Link to sit down on their bed, climbing up beside him when he did, smiling as the Hylian man drew him into his embrace, just holding him close for a few minutes of contented silence.<p>

"Link.." Ralis said softly when he finally spoke, obviously hesitant to end the comfortable atmosphere, tilting his head back where it lay on his shoulder since his back was pressed against Link's chest, smiling up at him as he looked into his eyes seriously, snuggling further back into his lover's arms happily.

"Can you spare me another day of your time?.. I can excuse you from the Coronation if necessary, though I would rather that you be there to support me, but I definitely need you for the Mating Ceremony before my Crowning."

"I will stay for both, and I will support you," Link promised him softly, turning his head to kiss Ralis's temple as he spoke in reply.

"What exactly do I have to do for these ceremonies?"

"Well.. for the Mating Ceremony, everyone will descend into the lake and enter the temple. They won't be actually watching us make love together, that's not allowed, but, they will be listening. It's part of the Ritual, and is meant to make sure that everything is official and done properly. It is.. different then what we have done before, though.."

"How so?.."

"I.. I will have to take you.."

Ralis was surprised when Link's arms tightened where they were wrapped around him, feeling tension fill the older man where they touched each other.

"Link?.. Are you alright?.. Don't you want to do it that way, too?.. Or.. are you.. are you frightened?.."

"I.. I do want to, yes.." Link answered, trying his best to explain how he was feeling to him, not wanting to hurt his lover's feelings, or make him feel unwanted in that manner.

"And I.. I am frightened, I'll admit it.. I just.. I didn't think that I would.. have to do it this soon. I thought that I would have until the next time that I saw you to get used to the idea of it.. But, it's okay. I can handle it."

"Are you sure, Love?.." Ralis asked him in concern. "I can still postpone it."

"No, Ral, I know this needs to be done soon. For our people, and for us, so that we can move forward to start our lives together. I want.. I _need_ to do that. Now, tell me about the Coronation. I need to know what's expected of me there, too."

"Well.." Ralis began, proceeding to explain the intricacies of that Ceremony to him as well.

* * *

><p>They lay in their bed together later that night, Link curled around Ralis's smaller body affectionately beneath the covers where they lay on their sides, Link suddenly whispering in the Zora boy's left ear quietly.<p>

"Ral?.."

"Yes, Love?.." he asked him softly in reply.

"I.. I want you to take me, now.."

Ralis rolled over in his arms in the bed to face him quickly, his sea green eyes wide at the Hylian's words.

"Are you sure?.."

"No, I.. I'm not, but.. I _do _know that I don't want to experience my first time with you like that while all of our people are listening. I.. I want it to be just us.. Just you and me.. I love you, Ralis.."

"I love you, too, Link. Alright. Roll over onto your other side?.."

Link swallowed nervously, but he nodded slowly, rolling over so that he lay on his left side facing away from Ralis, shivering in unconscious response when he felt the Zora boy's small right hand touch his right bare shoulder, a soft gasp escaping his lips, arching his back a little when he felt one of Ralis's slick, oil-wet fingers probing between his lower cheeks, starting to stroke his tight, virgin hole with just the tip gently, coaxing him to open to him lovingly.

"_Shh_.." Ralis whispered in Link's right pointed ear to soothe him. "It's okay, my Love.. Just relax for me.. I'll be as gentle as I can.."

Link nodded, visibly trembling, a soft cry of surprise escaping his throat as Ralis's finger was suddenly pushed inside of his as far as it could go, shaking as it held still there for a moment or two before Ralis started to thrust it back and forth inside him, stretching him out gently in order to receive him, eventually adding a second and third finger, readying him further before pulling all three digits back out of him carefully.

Link shuddered hard then as he felt Ralis's body move up tight behind his, the two of them fitting together perfectly despite their difference in size, a soft whimper coming from Link's parted lips without his permission when he felt his lover's hard cock touch his lower back just above the base of his spine, shivering as the naturally-slick, velvet-soft skin of his Mate's arousal slid against his warm backside beneath the blankets.

Then Ralis was pushing inside him, fire spreading up his back as he was taken for the first time, unable to prevent himself from crying out loudly, gritting his teeth for a moment or two once Ralis was all the way within his body, panting heavily as he moaned without realizing it, the sound obviously tortured and unpleasant to Ralis's ears.

"_Ahhh_!" Link cried out, his blue eyes glistening suddenly as they welled up with tears of pain in helpless reaction. "_Din's Fire_! _Ralis_.. _It hurts_!"

"_Shh_, _Love_.." Ralis whispered, rubbing his bare back with his right hand to loosen the tightness in his muscles, trying to comfort and relax him to make the taking easier.

"I'm here. It'll be okay. Just try and relax. It'll feel better soon, once I can start moving. The friction inside feels good.. It makes everything better."

Gradually, Link relaxed, turning into a pile of helpless goo beneath Ralis's attentions as his Zora lover continued to rub the tense muscles in his back lovingly, pressing tender kisses to his shoulders, neck, chest, face, and finally, his lips, kissing him to help him relax further.

"_Oh_, _Goddesses_.." Link moaned suddenly, this time with pleasure instead of pain, trembling against Ralis's body where they touched, reaching back with his right hand to pull his Mate further still into their kiss.

"I think.. you can start to move now, Ralis.."

"Are you sure?.. I don't want to hurt you, Love."

"I'm sure. Please, move.. I need it. I need you to move.."

"Alright."

Ralis moved his hips back ward then, pulling halfway out of him, then moved his hips forward, thrusting back into him quickly, causing Link to cry out again at the pleasurable friction that his motion sparked deep inside of his body now.

"_Ahhh_, _Ralis_, _yes_!" he groaned in surprise. "That does feel.. _good_.."

Ralis smiled at Link's admission, pressing another kiss to the other man's neck gently.

"I told you that it would, darling."

"Yes. Please," Link requested of him softly. "Don't stop.."

"As my Love wills," Ralis agreed with another smile, starting to move into him in earnest now.

Link moaned once more, panting breathlessly as sweat drops rose up to glisten on his bare back and neck clearly where the sheets and thick blanket had slid down to their waists with their movements, his hips shifting as he pushed back into Ralis's thrusts eagerly now, their mingled sweat soon soaking his hair and the covers as they kissed hungrily, touching and caressing each other's bodies as they made love, moving together beautifully, anticipating the needs and wants of the other as though they had been lovers all their lives.

Link shuddered, making soft ahh, ahh, ahh, sounds against Ralis's lips now unconsciously with every thrust of his Mate's hips against his, making Ralis smile, pleased by his response to his loving of him, starting to rock into him faster, causing the beautiful blonde haired man to scream and shake, quivering helplessly as he tightened around the Zora boy's hard length inside his body, screaming again as his strong hips snapped back and forth repeatedly, his eyes shut tightly as he came fast and furious, releasing the build up of tension as he spilled his seed across the mattress for Ralis, climaxing without his own cock ever having been touched once.

Ralis came inside him right after with one final thrust, unable to prevent it with the way the way that his lover's body seized and tightened around his own, grasping him within as though he never wanted him to leave him alone.

Afterward, they lay in the bed in each other's arms, Link having rolled over when Ralis pulled out of him, laying his fair-haired head down on the Zora boy's chest, wrapping their arms around each other tighter, their eyes closed as they panted together softly while they slowly recovered from the glorious ferocity of their physical joining, relaxing against each other contentedly as they now embraced one another with obvious emotion.

Gradually, Link became aware of someone trying to get into his mind.

But, it wasn't an assault against his formidable magical barriers, more like a polite, patient knocking on his door, a request for entrance into the front room of the mental consciousness within his head.

***Link* **Ralis called to him mentally now that he realized he had gotten his attention. ***Can you hear me?.. Will you let me in?..* **

Link lifted his head up from Ralis's chest, opening his eyes and staring down into Ralis's soft sea green colored ones with a gentle smile, his blue eyes shining as he nodded slowly, opening his shields briefly to let his lover inside his mind, speaking to him softly as the mental door slid closed behind him.

***Hello, Rali***

***Hello, Link* **Ralis replied with a smile. ***I just wanted to check and make sure that everything had worked properly and the connection had formed right. Now that you've let me in, I'll always be with you, right here when you need me. We can experiment more with the link tomorrow if you want to?***

***Sure, we can. I love you, Ral***

***I love you, too, Link***

The blonde man nodded, laying his head back down onto his Mate's chest, closing his eyes as they drifted off to sleep together happily.

* * *

><p>Link and Ralis rose early the next morning together, Link putting on his undershirt and pants, then his forest green tunic, smiling as Ralis reached up to touch him, smoothing the wrinkles out fo the fabric for him thoughtfully before picking up Link's belt and fastening it around his waist for him securely.<p>

Link smiled, reaching out to grab Ralis around the hips, lifting him up off his feet to kiss his lips gently, pulling back reluctantly after a moment to stare into his beloved sea green eyes with another smile.

Ralis smiled back, staring into Link's blue eyes with obvious happiness as he leaned his head forward, bringing their faces closer together again, Ralis kissing Link this time.

***I love you, Link* **Ralis whispered to him just inside his mind through their Bond.

***I love you, too, Ral* **Link whispered back, the two of them smiling at each other before Ralis spoke softly.

"Sit down on the bed, Love? I'll brush your hair for you."

Link blinked his blue eyes in surprise, nodding slowly in reply, sitting down on the edge of their bed.

Ralis climbed up beside him, moving to the other side of the bed to retrieve his pink-coral comb from the drawer in the bedside table made of deep-blue coral there, which until now had only been used for ornamentation purposes as the Zora race were completely hairless, everywhere, because they spent most of their time in the water.

He moved closer to Link again, kneeling on his scaled knees behind him before reaching up with the comb to gently brush his lover's shoulder length dirty blonde hair until it's locks were free of snarls and lay smooth and beautiful down the back of his neck, putting the comb away before moving to sit beside Link with his small webbed feet dangling over the edge of the mattress next to Link's bare ones, smiling and laying his head on Link's right shoulder when the Hylian smiled back at him and slipped his right arm around Ralis's shoulders, closing his eyes as he just enjoyed being held close by his Mate.

"I love your hair," Ralis confessed to him suddenly, tilting his head back on his shoulder to stare up into his eyes with another smile.

"I love everything about you, of course, but, Zoras don't have any hair, so, it makes that part of you all the more fascinating to me.."

"Oh really?.." Link purred seductively, just his soft voice causing Ralis's cock to harden beneath the scales between his legs as his lover's deep-blue eyes burned with the inner fire of his personality that he usually kept hidden, leashed and under control so as not to frighten people with the intelligence and power that made him the Goddess's Chosen Hero, despite his protests and naturally humble nature.

"I'll keep that in mind. Do you really see me that way?" Link asked in response to Ralis's thoughts since their minds were ever connected now. "Do others?"

"Well, I can't really speak for others," Ralis said quietly with an answering nod. "But I can't see why they wouldn't do so. I see you that way, too, but it's also different from how they see you. It's not the same, because I love you, so I can see all of you, the man as well as the hero. The hero, that side of you isn't bad, but I find that I much prefer the man, because he loves me for me, as an individual, and not just one of many. Does that make sense, my Love?.."

"Aye, Ralis, it does," Link answered him with a smile, lowering his head down to kiss his soft lips briefly before pulling back with another smile. "It makes perfect sense, my darling."

Ralis smiled up at Link in return, reaching up his arms to twine them around the Hylian's neck affectionately, pulling his head down closer, fastening his mouth to his in yet another kiss, pulling back after several minutes to say to him softly, "I love you, Link.."

"I love you, too, Ralis," Link replied with gentle blue eyes. "You're my whole world, my one and only."

* * *

><p>Later that same morning, once Zakura informed Ralis that the preparations for both of the ceremonies had been completed, Link changed into the Zora armor with Ralis's assistance once again, which seemed to be something that the boy did because he loved him and simply wanted to be close to him, which was why Link didn't say anything and continued to allow it, placing his shield, sword and quiver of arrows into his endless pouch before fastening his belt back around his waist, leaving his weapons ready and easily accessible should they be needed, for any reason, but not visible to the eye, because the temple was a place of peace and worship.<p>

The Goddesses had made an exception for him the last time that he was there, so that he could purge the filth from one of their dwelling places in this world, but now it was different as he would be participating in two Zora Rituals.

He could only draw his blade, or bow, if his own life, that of Ralis, or one of their people was threatened by something within the temple.

* * *

><p>Link and Ralis stood on the wooden bridge that led to Fyer's hut together, the rest of the Zora's gathered around them on the various nearby islands.<p>

Link and Ralis smiled at each other, each of them squeezing the other's hand where they were held within firm grasp, Ralis mentally instructing Link on the ways to conduct himself during the coming ceremony before the part where they would join together and be Mated officially before all that were present.

Then, Link and Ralis jumped down into the water together, diving down below the surface, still holding hands as they swam gracefully downward, the rest of the Zoras following after them as they all made their way deep beneath the water and into the temple, swimming through the tunnel and up into the front room, which was all that most Zoras ever saw, as it was the one that was used for the Mating Ritual.

The Coronation Ceremony was always held above the water in Zora's Domain so as to keep their religion and monarchy separate as much as possible.

Ralis was to be King, and he had already made the announcement to the people that his mother's former Consort, Zakura, was to be their new religious leader.

Now that he had no direct connection to the monarchy through the Queen, he was free to do so, and had accepted the position with honest enthusiasm, as Ralis had sensed that he would, knowing that he needed something to take his mind, of not his heart, off his grief and pain at the unexpected passing of the Prince's mother.

Their former religious leader had also been killed in the massacre after Ralis had fled at the Queen's urging to go the Princess Zelda for help, causing him to be tracked from his home, wounded and left for dead along the road by Zant's vicious Twilight monsters, which was where Ilia had found him.

The room looked much the same as it had the first time that Link had seen it, except that the railings of the staircases on either side of the chamber that led up to the door that went deeper into the temple were decorated with numerous kinds of beautiful sea flowers, and a thin blanket of shining blue hung in-between the two sides of the stairs from the large golden handle there, shielding the platform that the stairs led to from view, as that was where they were to make love together after Zakura's part in the ceremony as the religious leader.

Link and Ralis took up position in-between the two sets of stairs, standing facing each other in front of the hanging blanket and Zakura, Ralis on the left, Link on the right, the Zora Prince's hands held out in front of his body, as were Link's, taking each other's hands at Zakura's nod, smiling at each other briefly as the Zora man started to speak, to them, and to all the Zoras gathered around the room in a loose half-circle.

"Ralis, Prince of the Zora people," Zakura began the ceremony softly, but loud enough that everyone in the room would easily be able to hear him. "Do you accept this man, Link of Ordon, as your Forever Mate? To cleave only onto him for the rest of his days? To remain physically loyal to him alone, and to do what is best for your people to the exclusion of all but him?"

"I do," Ralis said quietly, though his voice carried clearly to all those within the chamber, his sea green eyes never leaving Link's blue ones as he spoke. "The Choice is made, the Sapphire has been Given."

Soft murmurs and exclamations of surprise filled the room, because all of the gathered Zoras knew exactly what their Prince's firm statement meant, falling silent again when Zakura lifted a quieting hand to them before lowering it again once they had obeyed him.

"Link of Ordon, Chosen One of Ralis, and Hero of the Three Goddesses, do you accept this boy, soon to be a man, Ralis, Prince of the Zoras, as your Forever Mate? To cleave only onto him for the rest of his days? To remain physically loyal to him alone, and to do what is best for him and his people to the exclusion of all but your Divinely Given mission?"

"I do," Link replied, his eyes never leaving Ralis's as he answered him without hesitation. "The Choice is made, the Sapphire has been Accepted."

"Then the Blessing of the Goddesses is Given," Zakura finished with a smile. "You may kiss each other, and then ascend the stairs for the Official Mating."

Ralis and Link nodded, their eyes softening as they smiled at each other, leaning their faces closer together, Ralis pressing his lips to Link gently, applying brief suction, causing Link to shiver visibly in helpless response to him, pulling back after a moment more.

Then they released each other's hands with obvious reluctance, separating now to ascend the stairs, Ralis the left side, Link the right, their eyes never leaving each other as they did so.

They met again in the middle of the platform, behind the thin, shining blue blanket that cast their shadows on it's surface for all within the underwater cavern to see, Link looking down in surprise at the numerous soft-looking, brightly colored blankets and pillows that formed a kind of love-nest for them, looking back up into Ralis's gentle gaze questioningly.

***Did you really think that I would take you on the hard, cold ground?..* **Ralis asked Link teasingly just inside his mind through their connection, his sea green eyes sparkling with amusement and love as he spoke soundlessly. ***Especially after last night?..***

***No, of course not* **Link replied, blushing red as his cock started to harden at just the mere thought of last night.

Ralis smiled, as though sensing the older man's weakness for him somehow, stepping closer to Link, reaching out his hands to touch him, starting to help him out of the Zora armor, setting it and his belt and pouch aside carefully near the pillow-nest before stripping him down to his cream-colored under shirt and pants.

***So* **Link asked him mentally as he did so. ***How exactly would a normal Hylian get down here for the Ceremony?.. I mean, one who didn't have access to the Zora armor as I do?..***

***Their lover would hold them in their arms on the way down, breathing for them until they got to this chamber, and also surrounding their body with a bubble to protect them from the pressure of the deep water***

***Oh. Interesting* **

Ralis nodded, smiling as he drew Link close into his arms, stripping him fully now, tossing his clothes beside the armor and pouch before studying his lover's naked body once more with soft sea green eyes.

***Lay down on your back on the blankets?..* **Ralis requested of him, watching Link shudder as he nodded quickly before obeying him, laying his body down amongst the pillows, his fair-haired head coming to rest on a large, deep-blue pillow that made the color of his beautiful eyes even more noticeable to Ralis's own as the Zora boy came down to rest atop him.

***So, am I allowed to make any noise at all?..* **Link asked him with obvious concern, knowing that the likelihood that he could remain silent throughout the whole process was slim.

***Of course you are, Link* **Ralis replied with a smile, running his right hand down Link's bare left side gently, stopping when he reached his hipbone there, feeling him trembling at the contact of their skin.

***It's allowed, and even encouraged, because it's an expression of how much you love, want, and need me to take you. Real desire, real love, can never be faked for long. I want our people to know that you love me, that you need me, and that I love, need, and am very happy with you. Happier then words, however beautiful, could ever express***

***Oh.. Okay* **Link replied, blushing again, visibly shivering with his desire as he spread his legs for Ralis with a nod, crying out suddenly, unable to prevent the sound from escaping as Ralis took hold of his cock and started to stroke him gently with his webbed fingers.

"_Ralis_! _Oh_, _Goddesses_!"

Ralis smiled down at him, feeling his lover harden fully now beneath his attentions.

"Come for me, my Love.." Ralis whispered softly with tender, caring eyes.

That quickly, with those words alone, it was over, Link screaming out his pleasure to the ceiling as he came hard against his prince's hand, feeling as though it would never stop as he shuddered repeatedly, slumping back down amidst the pillows limply when it finally did stop.

Ralis took hold of his quivering legs then, lifting them up and pushing them back carefully, looking down into his deep-blue, lust-hazy eyes inquiringly.

"_Yes_, _Ral_, _please_.." Link moaned softly, helpless beneath the man that he loved. "I want.. I _need_ you, inside of me, _please_!"

Ralis nodded, reaching for the jar of oil that Zakura had placed near the pillow-nest, dipping the fingers of his left hand inside briefly before setting it down again, moving Link's legs up and back again with his right arm, holding them there as he looked down into his eyes with a loving smile as two of his slick fingers sought out the entrance to Link's body, stroking over the soft skin there gently to coax the Hylian to open for him.

Link shuddered and groaned loudly, submitting to Ralis with a soft whimper of sheer want, letting first two, then three of his fingers inside of him as he cried out again, arching his back as he did so.

"_Oh_, _Goddesses_, _Ralis_, _please_! _Please_, _come inside me_!"

Ralis blushed at his lover's plea, but he nodded, withdrawing his fingers from him carefully before aligning his own body with Link's even more intimately, starting to push inside him slowly and gently, lowering his head down to kiss him deeply, lovingly, slipping his tongue into Link's mouth when his lips parted on a soft, clearly hungry moan as his naked body was surrounded by and filled with Ralis.

"_Oh_, _Ralis_!" Link moaned, his head thrashing on the pillows a little once Ralis ended their kiss after a few heated moments. "_Oh_, _my Love_, _yes_, _yes_, _make love to me_! _I_ _need you_!"

Ralis nodded, smiling at Link as he started to move now, thrusting his hips slowly at first, then faster, causing the gorgeous blonde man beneath him to cry out loudly, the shout echoing around the chamber as he arched his back, both of his hands moving up from his sides quickly to clutch at Ralis's shoulders as he panted heavily and shook under him.

"_Ral_, _I_.. _I'm so_-" Link stammered, his face flushed red, hair and skin sweat-drenched with their exertion, moaning with a pleasure so intense that it bordered on the edge of agony. "-_close_!"

"_Come for me_, _Link_," Ralis panted softly, sweat dripping from his body to mingle with Link's own as he leaned down to kiss him for a brief, painfully sweet moment. "Come _with_ me! _Let go_!"

And then they were coming, screaming out their pleasure at the same time as they rode the waves of release simultaneously, Link gasping as his mind was invaded by a scene much like their own, aware of Ralis watching along with him as they lay there recovering from their love-making.

"**Let go, Link!" **someone, a man, said softly, with obvious tenderness. "**Come for me, my Love, come **_**with**_** me!"**

The picture was fuzzy at first, but it slowly cleared, revealing a naked man with blonde hair and blue eyes that looked much like himself, though there were noticeable differences in his appearance.

Atop him, and inside him, lay a second naked male, but his features were indiscernible, as he was in shadow because of the place where they lay making love.

The other Link, his Namesake he guessed him to be, cried out at his lover's words, his blue eyes never leaving the other man's shadowed face as he came along with him.

"_**Oh**_**, **_**Goddesses**_**!" **he screamed helplessly as he clung to him, his arms twined around his neck as he moaned out his pleasure. **"**_**Ohhh**_**! **_**I love you**_**, **_**so much**_**,-"**

The vision ended then, just when the other Link had been about to say the name of his lover, but Ralis's Link knew that he had been about to say the name 'Dark'.

***What was that, Link?..* **Ralis asked him softly in his mind, staring down into his dark blue eyes as he slipped out of his body then, the Zora's soft cock covered beneath his protective scales quickly.

***A memory, but not mine. I think that this place.. they made love here, my Namesake and his Mate, perhaps even in this very spot. It looked different, but, many things change with time. Except for love. Love always remains the same. I'll never stop loving you, as you'll never stop loving me***

***No, I never will, Link. I love you, always. Love remains the same***

_**(Quick Author's Note : The room where Link and Ralis just made love, for the sake of this story, is the room in Orcania of Time where that Link and Dark Link fight each other. Of course, in my mind, they forget about fighting and make love instead, hence the memory that Ralis and Link just witnessed together. The differences in the rooms can be explained by remodeling, improving and caring for the temple over the centuries that have passed since then. I guess that's my explanation in it's entirety. Sorry if it's not a good enough one for you, but, this is what I wanted to do with this part, and if you don't like it, then just ignore it and put it from your mind now. Okay, back to the story! :)**_

"My Prince?.." Zakura called out softly to them from in front of the blanket. "I don't want to intrude, but all of the others have left, and it will soon be time for the Coronation."

"It's alright, Zakura," Ralis reassured him as he smiled at Link, sitting up reluctantly so that the Hylian could dress again, standing up to help him back into the Zora armor. "It's fine, we're finished, for now. We were only talking. Just give us a few moments. We won't be late for the Coronation, I promise."

* * *

><p>Link and Ralis left the temple then, making their way back up to Zora's Domain together, holding hands as they went.<p>

Once they reached the throne room, Ralis helped Link off with the Zora armor once again, waiting patiently just outside the cave as Link changed back into his usual forest green tunic, tucking away the Zora armor into his endless pouch before pulling his sword, shield and quiver of arrows from it's depths, strapping them back onto his back as Ralis had explained to him that now was the time to show their people his warrior side, to prove that he was capable of defending Ralis's life as well as his own, or any of theirs were it to become necessary, the Hylian smiling as Ralis picked up Link's belt, slipping his arms around him as he fastened the belt back around his Mate's waist, obviously using it as an excuse to hug him.

Link smiled as he drew the man closer once he had finished, his right hand moving up to touch his prince's chin, coaxing him to tilt his head back so that his beloved sea green eyes stared up into his face, lowering his head down to kiss Ralis's lips lovingly, his hand and fingers now resting on the soft skin of the Zora's neck, caressing it gently as they kissed for a few moments more before their mouths parted with obvious reluctance, panting softly together.

Once they had recovered from the heated kiss, Ralis linked his right arm with Link's left, the two of them smiling at each other briefly before they entered the throne room.

* * *

><p>Ralis and Link walked slowly up to his throne on the left side of the large stone room, the other Zoras all lined up on either side of the pool of water in the middle, Zakura standing on the left side of the steps just in front of the throne.<p>

He smiled at them both as they ascended the steps together, watching them nod their heads briefly in greeting before Link escorted Ralis to the throne, the Zora prince standing in front of it with Link at his left side as the Zoras all moved closer now, standing on the steps and the area around them for the ceremony.

Zakura began to speak where he now stood directly in front of Ralis.

"Ralis, Prince of the Zora people, today, you have become a man. By the Rituals and Laws of our people, you have taken a Mate, and are now free to be our King, to accept the position that is rightfully yours, by birth and Bloodline. Do you accept this responsibility?"

"I do," Ralis said firmly, his sea green eyes flashing for a moment with pride that he had finally reached this day, even though most of the events that had led up to it were tragic in nature.

"Then by the power you have given to me, I now name you, King Ralis, Ruler of the Zora Kingdom. You may now take your place upon the throne."

Ralis nodded, dipping his chin briefly in the ritual acceptance of his new role in his people's lives, holding out his left hand to Link, who took it, smiling inwardly in triumph as Ralis sat down upon the throne regally, nodding his head again briefly to their people.

"I now present to you, King Ralis," Zakura said loudly, gesturing with his left arm toward the throne. "May he live long and prosper!"

"Live long and prosper!" all the Zoras shouted together, raising their left hands into the air as they spoke, lowering them when Zakura started to speak again, this time to Link where he stood to the right of the throne upon which Ralis now sat looking out over the faces of their people, their hands still held with each other's grasp securely.

"Link, formally of Ordon, now of the Zora people, Mate to Ralis, King of the Zoras, do you chose to accept the official role of Forever-Mate and Royal Consort to Ralis, King of the Zoras?"

"I do," Link answered firmly, his blue eyes flashing proudly for a moment as he answered Zakura without any hesitation.

"Then by the power he has given to me, I now name you, Link of the Zoras, Mate and Consort to King Ralis. May he live long and prosper!"

"Live long and prosper!" the Zoras shouted again, this time raising their right hands high into the air.

* * *

><p>After the Ceremony was over, Ralis sat upon his new position's throne for an hour or two, listening to the problems and concerns of his people as they had been too long without a ruler after his mother's passing, Link standing to the left of the throne, in the place reserved for the Consort or Mate, both in his case, Zakura on the right.<p>

Several babies had been born in his absence, so as King, he had to officially welcome them into their new life as members of the Zora people.

He also arranged several Mating Ceremonies for the following day between couple that had gotten together while he had been ill, two couples that were both male, one that was two females, one couple that was a male and a female, and even one that was two males and a female.

Then he settled some disputes between a few Zoras, though such occasions were rare, as Zora's Domain was as close to a paradise as one could get in Hyrule.

Afterward, Link and he retreated to their room to be alone together, as it was almost night now.

"Will you stay?.." Ralis asked him softly, snuggling deeper into his arms. "I'm too tired for sex, but, I.. I just want one more night with you beside me, my Love.. Please?.."

Link smiled as he stared down into Ralis's shining sea green eyes, lifting his right hand up to touch his left cheek, leaning down closer to him to kiss his lips lovingly, pulling back reluctantly after a few moments.

"Of course I'll stay, Ral. I love you. I don't need sex all the time, I'm happy just to be with you, my darling. I'll leave in the morning."

Ralis smiled, curling up in his Mate's arms in their bed.

"I love you, too, Link. Always."

* * *

><p>"I love you, Ralis," Link said the next morning, kissing him on the mouth gently, and then pressing feather light kisses to his cheeks, nose and forehead lovingly as he spoke. "I'll return as soon as I can to your arms, my own."<p>

"I love you, too, Link. Take your time, my darling. I don't want you to get hurt because you were trying to hurry back to me. I don't want you hurt at all.."

"I promise to be careful, Ralis. I'll see you soon, my Mate, my prince. You'll always be my prince, Ral, regardless of your change in status."

Ralis blushed at his words, giggling softly when Link took his right hand in his, lowering his head down to press his lips to the back of it lovingly, enjoying the Zora's soft, startled gasp in reaction when Link's warm, wet tongue darted out of his mouth subtly, licking a quick strip of saliva up the back of his hand, marking him as his once again, his blue eyes sparkling like starlight as he smiled up at Ralis smugly.

"When I return, you will be mine once again, my prince."

"I am always yours, Link, always yours. My Love, my Hero.."

* * *

><p>Link reluctantly left Zora's Domain, heading down from the throne room to the waterfall basin below.<p>

He got into the water, swimming over to the Mother-and-Child rocks that Ralis had told him about, speaking to a Zora woman who was treading water there.

"A suspicious girl has been seen around this area lately… I wonder what brings her?"

"You don't have to worry about Ashei," Link said in reply, explaining the Hylian woman's presence there. "She was helping me decide what to do about the snow beast."

"Oh?.. What are you going to do?.."

"I will track it to it's lair on the mountain. Speak to it, if it can understand me, kill it if it can't and decides to attack me."

"Oh?.. Well, good luck, Link, Mate of Ralis. I'm Zarina. It was nice to have met you."

"And I you, Zarina."

She nodded, watching him swim through the Mother-and-Child rocks and climb onto the small piece of land there before turning away to speak to another Zora nearby.

Link explored the area there after casting a drying spell on himself, finding two green rupees inside small wooden boxes, as well as a male dragonfly for Agitha.

Then he returned to the land over looking the Mother-and-Child rocks, pulling the fishing pole that Colin had made for him back in Ordon what seemed like a lifetime ago now, taking the coral earring from Ralis out of his left ear reluctantly, attaching it to the end of the line securely before casting the hook out into the water directly in front of him.

He had a fish on the line almost instantly, reeling it in quickly to find a red, twenty-five inch, very stinky fish on the end of the hook.

He freed the fish from his line, taking the hook off and laying it nearby before putting the pole away again, calling for Midna to shift him to his wolf form briefly so he could sniff the flailing fish and learn the reekfish scent before shifting back and tossing the poor, traumatized fish back into the pool and watching it swim quickly away.

Then he picked up the coral earring, kneeling down beside the water to wash it clean of the smell of the reekfish before hooking it back into his left earlobe securely, his fingers lingering on it for a moment as he smiled at the constant physical reminder of his love, Ralis.

He got back into the water and swam across to the other side, using a drying spell on his clothes and boots again, finding three green rupees in boxes before heading into the cave after speaking to the two male Zora guards there, reassuring the first that Ralis did indeed know about Ashei, because Link had told him of her, and reassuring the second that he knew how to handle himself in harsh conditions, and not to worry for him, or cause their King to worry about it when he had so many others to be concerned about as well now.

Link called for Midna to shift him to wolf again before he proceeded down along the path to the right of the exit of the caves mouth onto the cold mountain, grateful for his warm fur as he ran, following the scent of the reekfish diligently.

Then he heard Ralis call out to him in his mind, the mental tones of his young voice panicked as he spoke.

***Link! Link? Are you alright, my Love? I felt your pain..***

***I'm okay, Ralis, it's okay* **Link reassured him, distressed that Ralis had felt even that small vibration of agony as he shifted from man to wolf. ***If I had known that you would feel my pain, I would have blocked it from you as much as I could have***

***You can become a wolf?..* **Ralis asked him in surprise, receiving the image of Link running over the snow on four paws from his lover's mind. ***Yes, I can. It's actually quite fun sometimes. You can stick around for a while if you want to. See where I am through my eyes***

***I'd like that* **Ralis replied with a mental smile as he ran with his lover through their mental connection.

Link smiled back mentally, nodding as he followed the scent of the fish, pleased to know that Ralis was still with him in a way, sensing his excitement as he tracked the Snow Beast by the trail of stinky fish smell it had left behind.

Link followed the scent over ice floats, careful not to touch the frozen water with his paws, which were already encrusted with ice, and very cold despite his thick furry, protective coat, relieved when he reached the other side, running over snow once more.

He felt Ralis shudder through their mental link as he was attacked suddenly by a large pack of ice wolves, killing them as he ran, only speaking again once the remainder had fled his furious assault in return.

***Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, Ralis. It'll only make you worry for me even more***

***I know, Link, but.. I want to stay. I want to be with you.. Please.. Let me stay?..***

***Alright* **he agreed reluctantly, though he obviously wanted to be with Ralis as well. ***If you promise me that you'll go as soon as it gets to be too much for you***

***I promise***

***Thank you, my Own***

Link continued to follow the scent, killing more ice wolves when the pack attacked him again, climbing a snowy slope to the left of a cliff where the Snow Beast had obviously climbed up it instead of taking the path, scrambling up several stone ledges in order to continue following the scent of the reekfish it had left behind.

He turned to the right when he came to another cliff that the Beast had climbed, finding a ghost beneath a tree, stunning it and ripping the piece of stolen soul from it's chest, causing it to vanish back to wherever it had come from, digging down into a stone cave beneath the roots of the tree, killing five ice bats there before finding some green rupees, in pots and beneath stones, shifting briefly to human to blow up two boulders, finding a purple puddle slime creature behind them like the ones that had been in the water temple, shifting back to wolf with Midna's help before leaving the cave.

He backtracked to the cliff, taking the left path this time, following the scent ever upward until he reached a snowy dead-end cliff, killing two ice bats before deliberately running into the stone wall, knocking down the pile of snow at the top to form a path so that he could get up higher.

He followed the scent to the left from there, coming to a wide outcropping of snow-covered stone, finding a singing stone where he howled along with the shining wolf again happily.

"Let teachings of old pass to you… Take sword in hand and find me…"

The golden wolf leapt away, and Link 'awoke' back on Snowpeak, finding the mark of the wolf on his map in the Kakariko graveyard when Midna pulled it out for him briefly, then put it away into his pouch for him.

He left there and continued through a grove of trees, killing an ice bat, as well as two more wolves when the pack returned to attack, driving them off again before digging down into a large cavern beneath the base of a cliff, avoiding touching the ice, shifting back to human in order to climb a wooden ladder to the next level of the cave.

***Link?* **Ralis said to him quietly, and Link felt him shivering through there mental link as he spoke to him. ***I have to go, now. The c-cold.. I can't take it. You're up too high on the mountain now. I love you, Link.. I'll see you when you come back. Maybe we'll talk sooner, if you can find somewhere that's warmer, okay?..***

***Of course. I love you, too, Ralis. See you soon***

Ralis retreated from his mind with obvious reluctance, and Link continued on with a soft sigh, collecting various rupees and killing two ice bats as he climbed up several stone ledges, climbing up some vines next to reach the top, killing another ice bat before exiting the cave through a circular stone door that had the Beast's large hand prints on it, etched there plainly in the melted snow, guessing that they must be close as the prints hadn't yet frosted over with the cold.

Midna switched him back to wolf again once he got back out into the snow, and he walked forward, surrounded by ice bats, as well as three Twilight monsters when they suddenly dropped down from a portal when it formed in the sky above them.

He killed them all quickly, freeing the portal for their own use, having Midna shift him back to human form before heading up the snowy slope ahead to speak to what was obviously the Snow Beast at the top near an ice-encrusted tree.

The Beast was twice Link's size at least, and covered in thick, white fur, and wearing a strange hat of some kind.

In his large right hand he held a huge, wriggling reekfish, much, much bigger then the one that the Hylian had caught, and when he spoke to Link, the very air vibrated with his loud voice.

"Uh! Whoa-ho!-" he said loudly as he turned his large head to look at Link now when he approached him with obvious caution. "-I heard ruckus, and uh! Just a human! I see humans not often, uh? Why human come to snows? You… on Spiritual Journey? You look for true self?"

"Umm, no," Link said with a slight smile up at him, which was slightly odd since Link wasn't used to having to look up at others. "I know who I am, thanks. I was looking for you, actually, but now, I'm looking for a mirror. Or at least, a piece of it, anyway."

"…Uh. You look for mirror in such faraway place… But you make good climb! And you lucky to meet me! I found shiny mirror piece. Same mirror you look for, uh? Uh! You come to house and see yourself! I caught fish.-" he said, holding up his huge catch proudly for Link to see.

"-I make you hot meal, at least… My house far away… We slide there, uh? Do like me! Come!"

The Snow Beast punched the tree with his free hand, causing a frozen leaf to fall, hopping onto it with one large foot since that was all that would fit, kicking off with his other foot to slide away down the mountain.

Link did the same by rolling into the tree, following after him on his own, smaller leaf when it fell, kicking off to slide after him, crossing a wooden bridge and avoiding various obstacles to finally reach the stone courtyard of a large, elegant manor built of stone, Midna popping up out of his shadow to speak to him briefly.

"…Here?-" she said softly in clear surprise. "-What's with this guy? He's got a nice place…for a beast-man."

"Yes, he does.."

Midna slipped away back into his shadow, and Link climbed the numerous stone steps of the manor to go inside out of the cold.

* * *

><p>Link proceeded up the hallway from the door, walking along an expensive-looking faded red carpet between large suits of armor on either side, going up the carpeted steps just ahead to find a ghost there hovering above the ice.<p>

He had Midna shift him briefly to wolf so that he could take it's stolen soul back, then switched back to human, entering the door just after that to find a second, smaller snow beast sitting on the floor in front of a crackling fire in the hearth.

Link approached the fireplace quickly, grateful for the warmth after so long out in the snow.

"…Who?-" the smaller so beast asked, so Link reluctantly turned away from where he'd been warming his freezing hands by the fire, looking at her curiously as she continued to speak, knowing that she had to be female because of her smaller size compared to the male snow beast.

Wife or child, he didn't know yet, but supposed that she would tell him which soon.

"Uh… Sorry… I have sickness, uh… Come closer, uh?-"

Link walked closer to her, concerned for her health as she coughed quietly, knowing that he had to get the mirror out of her home as soon as possible.

"-You cute little human. Husband told me you come. You want to look at mirror, uh? My husband found it, but it pretty thing, uh. But…since I get mirror, I get sick, and then bad monsters appear… So many bad things happen since mirror… So we lock bedroom on third floor where it hangs, uh? Wait… I tell you where key is…-"

She handed Link a map of the mansion, and he opened it to find a red mark on the room with the key.

"-Fever makes head blurry, but… It probably here in this room marked by this symbol…-"

Link folded the map back up again, placing it in his endless pouch with a grateful smile in her direction, his smile fading a bit with his worry for her when she coughed again softly.

"-But right now… can't even get up. Would you bring it to me, uh? Start with door right here…"

She gestured weakly to the door on the right side of the room.

"I will, thank you."

She nodded, and he left the fireside reluctantly to go through the door there, relieved to see that it was a kitchen of sorts, and that the large, male snow beast was there, cooking something over a warm, open flame.

"Uh! You!-" he practically shouted when Link entered the room, walking closer to him and his pot quickly, unconsciously seeking out the heat.

"-Wife…look bad, uh? Not healthy since mirror… So I make soup for her. Fish from Zora village are most nutritious! You tired, uh? You have some. It give you energy!"

"Thanks, but I'm not tired, just cold. If you don't mind, I'll stay here for a while to get warm before I go after the mirror."

"Course don't mind! Come, sit with me, human!"

Link walked closer with a nod, hopping up onto the right crate in front of the fire, angling his body toward the snow beast and dangling his booted feet over the edge of the crate, unable to resist swinging them a little despite the fact that it made him seem like an overexcited child.

"My name is Link, formally of Ordon, now of the Zora village. I was recently Mated to one of their people, Ralis, the love of my life."

"I am Yeto. Wife called Yeta. What bring you all way out here, away from Mate?.."

"I had to leave him.." Link explained softly, staring into the huge pot of soup sadly. "I'm the Goddess's Chosen Hero. Where evil and danger threaten Their people, that is where I must go. Apparently, I'm here to save your wife. I have no doubt that I can do it, I'll just take the mirror away. As soon as I can find it."

"Good! This pleases Yeto."

"It pleases me, too, I just miss him, that's all."

"You good man, Link."

"Thank you, Yeto. I'll clear your home of monsters for you, I promise."

***Link?.. Can you hear me, Love?* **he heard Ralis call out to him through their mental connection. ***You feel warmer now. Are you somewhere safe?..***

***Yes, my darling, I am safe, and warm* **he answered, smiling at him mentally, sending him images and a brief description of everything that had happened since they had last spoken.

***I'm glad. I worry for you, Link***

***I know you do, my Own. I worry for you, too. But, I'll be careful, and I'll be back as soon as I can. I love you, Ralis***

***I love you, too, Link. See you soon, my Love***

"I feel warmer now," Link said out loud to Yeto, a slight smile curving his lips. "I'll go and retrieve the mirror."

"Good luck!"

"Thank you, Yeto," he answered, hopping down from the crate he'd been sitting on easily. "I'll be back for some of that soup, though. It smells delicious! See you later!"

"Yes, see later!"

* * *

><p>Link searched the kitchen room, finding a single green rupee in a pot, tossing it into his endless pouch.<p>

He also found Ooccoo, again.

"Phew! Free at last!-" she crowed happily, fluttering her short wings as she looked up at him. "-Gracious… You're that nice fellow who helped me out the other day! How nice to see you again! Well, now that we've found each other again, let's stick together for a bit, hmm? I'll be right with you, so if you want to warp out, just let me know!"

Link nodded with a slight smile, and Ooccoo flew up to land on his shoulder once again.

**(Extended Scene) (This was also added after the chapter was completed. Enjoy! :))**

"So, um, Ooccoo, I.. I have this friend. His name is Shad. He knows about you people, and really likes them, a lot. I told him about you, and, well.. I sort of promised him that I'd ask if you would pay him a visit. He was very excited and happy, so, I'd hate to have to let him down.. Would you mind? When you have the time, of course?.."

"Huh? Oh, sure. I'll go and see him. Shad, you said?.."

"Yes. He has bright, golden-red hair, large pointed ears, similar to my own, he wears glasses, and he has the most gorgeous blue eyes I've ever seen. He's pretty hard to miss."

"Oh?.. You sound.. enamoured of him. Are you sure he's only a friend?.."

Ah, yes, I'm sure. I have a Mate, and, I love him, very much. I would never betray his love. However, there's no harm in merely noticing Shad's beauty. It'll never be anything more then that, though."

"I see. Well, I'll find him."

"Thanks, Ooccoo. He'll really be happy, I just know it."

"You're welcome, Link. It's the least I can do for all your help."

"Uh, right.. Well, I'd better get going, now. We can talk more the next time I see you, okay?.. I'm sorry I haven't been very sociable with you up until now, but, it's really not my strong point, except with Ralis, of course. I trust him, completely."

"Of course. As it should be."

Link nodded with a smile, and his blue eyes softened at her firm words.

"Aye, as it should be."

**(End Extended Scene. :))**

Link went through the door near the far wall from the door that led to the kitchen, sighing when he found more ice, and snow, as well as a puzzle fro him to solve that involved blocks and switches.

He pushed the block closest to him to the west, then pushed the other block south, then west, then south, then west, then south again onto the switch, causing a metal screen to lift up from in front of a door to the east of the room, which Link went through quickly.

He found a freezing corridor of stone, avoiding the ice chunk that blocked his way.

The single window there was barred, two sets, one on each side of the stone frame, so Link had Midna shift him to wolf form, relieved with the protection from the cold that it brought him, digging down through as small patch of snow beneath a broken section of the wall there to emerge on the far side of the wall.

He was surprised to discover that he could see the door to the bedroom from here, high up and to his left, but he knew that it would be awhile before he actually made it there.

He discovered two chests, one containing a twenty rupee red rupee, the other, which was partially buried beneath the snow directly across from the first, held a small silver key, fighting off yet ice wolves as he did so.

He then shifted back to human form, going through a door to the west, then across the slippery ice in the same stone corridor that he had been in before digging his way out since the detour had led him around the ice block, killing two strange looking animated ice blobs with icy spines and red dots for eyes, or eye, as they only had one, laughing softly as he used the key he'd found to unlock the door ahead, tossing the key back into his pouch, opening it and stepping through.

Link emerged into a room full of ice, and ice blobs, killing them by breaking them apart with his sword as he had the others, hissing at the icy pain that froze his whole body when they touched him, shivering and thinking of the warm solace to be found in Ralis's arms, and body, to comfort himself as he went through a door near the wall on the far side from where he had entered.

The room he found there was big, flakes of snow drifting down into it from a large hole in the roof above.

He headed toward the next door, drawing his sword and pulling his shield off his back quickly when bars suddenly covered it, two ice warriors dropping down on either side of him, only his quick reflexes saving his life as he did an impressively fast back flip out of the range of their deadly ice spears.

He danced around the room faster then they both could follow, making short work of them with the back slice, though he was bruised and in pain as he put his shield back on his shoulders and sheathed his blade before limping over to open the door.

He stepped through, finding welcome warmth from a large candle in a wall sconce lit within, as well as a blue and silver chest, opening it quickly to find, to his dismay, a small pout on his lips in disappointed reaction, an Ordon pumpkin, Midna popping up out of his shadow to speak with him in her obvious vexation.

"What's this? This isn't right! She got the wrong location. Want to go back and try to get her to remember where the key is?"

"Yeah.." Link replied with a shrug. "At least I can give this to Yeto, for the soup."

"Okay. Sounds like a plan."

Midna slid back into his shadow, and Link went through the next door, climbing up some blocks to the left, jumping down into the block-and-switch puzzle room, making his way back to the kitchen from there.

He approached the fire eagerly, grateful for it's warmth, then made his way out after a few moments reluctantly to seek out Yeto's wife for the real location of the of the key, standing in front of the blessedly hot fireplace there while speaking to her softly.

"Uh, Yeta..-"

"You find it, uh?"

"Um, no.. I found.. a pumpkin, instead.."

"…What? Pumpkin? But why there?"

"_I_ don't know, it's _your_ house," Link said with obvious exasperation, but his tone was calm, as he knew that she _was_ ill.

"Uh… Sorry… Husband in kitchen right now. Take pumpkin to him."

"Alright."

"Sorry.. I try to remember…"

"It's okay, Yeta, really," he promised her quietly. "I'll be back. Take your time and try to get it right this time. I'm cold, anyway."

"Okay. Thank you, Link. You very kind man. Nice to poor, sick Yeta.."

Link flushed slightly at her praise of him, still self-conscious about such things, nodding to her with a small smile before heading back to the kitchen.

He approached Yeto to speak to him, listening to him mumble to himself for a minute or two.

"What flavor…" Yeto muttered, scratching his chin in perplexity, sniffing at the air. "Uh… Pumpkin! You have pumpkin, uh?-"

Link was shocked when Yeto picked him up suddenly in one large hand, causing the Hylian to pale a little with the pain as the yeti shook Link around a bit, causing him to drop the pumpkin he still carried, setting him down again roughly to pick it up off the floor quickly.

"-Pumpkin, pumpkin, uh!-" Yeto dropped the whole pumpkin into the pot of soup before speaking to Link again. "-Thanks, Uh! You taste if you want!"

"You're welcome, I'm sure," Link snapped out, clutching at his bruised right side with his left hand, a pained grimace contorting his still-pale face.

"Uh, what wrong?" Yeto asked him in concern.

"Oh, gee, I don't know. You picked me up and shook me like a rag doll! That's not how you treat another living creature. It's no wonder you never have any visitors up here, if that's how you treat them! You should know better! You have a wife. Not, of course, that I'm comparing myself to a woman, but, compared to your size and strength, I might as well be one."

"Uh, what?" Yeto said, his large black eyes going big and round at his words. "Link.. I.. I sorry.."

Link sighed, drawing on the Goddess Power to heal his injuries, color instantly returning to his cheeks as his pain left him.

"It's fine, just.. don't do that again, okay? You're much too big to handle me like that. I'm only trying to help you, and your wife, but you hurt me. The fact that some of it was previous injuries does not matter. You.. You have to be more careful around me, Yeto. That's a part of what being stronger then everyone else means, doing your best not to hurt them by accident. What you did wasn't necessary. You should have just asked me for what you wanted from me. I came in here to give you the pumpkin for the soup, anyway. I wouldn't have kept it, when I don't have any use for it, and it wasn't mine to begin with, it's yours. Do you understand that?.."

"Yes, I.. I understand. I sorry. I not mean to hurt you. I not do it again."

"Good. I'd better get back to your wife now, alright? Hopefully she's remembered where the key is."

"Okay, Link."

Link nodded to him, then left the kitchen to go back to the living room to speak to Yeta again.

* * *

><p>"You gave pumpkin?" Yeta asked him.<p>

"Yes, I did."

"Thank you, uh. I maybe remember. Could be in THAT room.. I think.-" She marked the room for him on his map. "-Go to room marked by symbol…-" Link nodded in wordless reply, putting the map away again after memorizing the location of the marked room.

"-Check room I marked on map, uh."

She opened the door for him, and he nodded again, going through it quickly.

He emerged into a snowy room outside, Midna shifting him quickly to wolf form without him having to ask as more ice wolves attacked them.

Then Midna shifted him back to human, and he noticed a large ice monster blocking his way to the next door, as well as a cannon in front of it on a square stone pedestal, climbing through a stone window to the left of the creature, going through the door there into another large room full of ice, as well as the smaller spiked ice blobs.

He made his way through the freezing room carefully, finding his way through a winding maze of ice walls, killing the ice spikes with a cannon ball that he found at the beginning of the room as he went.

Link finally reached a cannon at the back of the room, stepping up onto the wooden block attached to the back of it to place the cannon ball inside, reading the directions on a nearby wall, though the parchment was faded and torn, perhaps even moth-eaten, guessing from what was left of them that a bomb was needed to launch the cannon ball.

So he quickly turned the cannon to face the way he had come from, climbing back up onto the block again, dropping a lit bomb into the hole on top of the ball, watching it come out fast, blowing through the walls of ice that made up the maze easily, revealing another door straight ahead.

He climbed down from behind the cannon, crossing the slippery ice to enter the door, finding a room with no floor, just criss-crossed wooden beams, killing two ice bats with his bow when they approached him as well as shooting all the little ice spike blobs out of his way, then, very carefully not looking down, he made his way across the beams, killing a third ice bat, opening two different chests to find a red rupee and the compass, tucking them both away where they belonged before making his way back to the door by using the clawshot to hook onto a small, blue dotted circular grate to the right of the door's frame.

Link then made his way back to the courtyard with the first cannon and ice monster, Midna shifting him back to wolf when the wolves attacked yet again, killing them before using his senses to locate a golden chest buried deep beneath the snow containing a key, opening it in his human form before using the key to open the locked door just across from the cannon.

Just inside the barred doors were three cannon balls, so he used the strange metal mechanism to the right of the door, placing one ball into it before going back into the courtyard, rolling the ball through to the other side of the wall by pulling down on the lever with his whole body, having to jump up and grab hold of it to do so.

Link then took the heavy ball across to the cannon, loading it easily before dropping a lit bomb inside, blowing up the ice wall that lay in the direction that it pointed in, finding a small chest behind in containing bombs, collecting the intact ball and loading the cannon again, turning it's opening to face the giant ice monster blocking his way to the next door, dropping another lit bomb inside and blowing it's previously threatening bulk into so much shards of ice, and one spike blob, dispatching that quickly before going through the door ahead.

Link walked along the narrow stone corridor that it led to, seeing bars lining the way on either side, which both contained boxes, barrels and cannons stored in the areas behind them, admiring the two large suits of armor that he passed even as his warrior's instincts practically screamed at him that this corridor would be a perfect place for an ambush because of the lack of maneuvering room.

He drew his sword quickly when he heard a loud humming noise behind him, whirling around when the suit of armor there was forcefully flung aside, his left hand tightening on the hilt of the Master Sword as he stared in open-mouthed shock at the huge, hulking knight that approached him slowly with a deadly looking ball and chain clutched within both of his large hands, unable to flee him for search of better fighting ground because of the bars that suddenly dropped down to bar both of the doors that led out of the corridor.

The knight advanced on him slowly, swinging his weapon threateningly, Link jumping around him quickly, managing to evade him for the most part, striking repeatedly at his venerable, short slightly stubby tail, listening to him bellow and shriek in pain, finally falling to his knees, then flat onto his large belly, vanishing after he exploded and died, leaving behind only his weapon and causing the doors to open.

**(Author's Note : You can also use the clawshot to hook onto the ceiling above the knight, taking Link all over the room and confusing the hell out of the poor, fat sucker, getting access to his tail that way. I have done it that way before, too, however, I just used the explanation that describes a way to do it that I find easier. You may not like that way, so, I put this in here as an alternative. :) Okay, anyway, back to Link! :))**

Link collected the heavy ball and chain from the floor there, tucking it away into his endless pouch, pulling out one of his bottles that contained a fairy, setting it free to heal his wounds from the battle, watching it vanish back to where it had come from as his strength returned before he tossed the now empty bottle back into his pouch and left the hallway.

Link used the ball and chain in the next room, finding a yellow and green rupee inside two barrels to the left of the door when he broke them open, and a flying, winged ice skull in the first suit of armor to the right of the door, killing it, finding an orange one hundred rupee inside one of the ice blocks he crashed through with the weapon before he put it away and opened the blue and silver chest that he had revealed along the back wall of the room.

Inside of it was.. Ordon goat cheese, not the key.

Definitely not the key.

Link pouted again slightly in disappointment, but he tucked the cheese away into his endless pouch to give to Yeto, Midna popping up out of his shadow again to speak to him with obvious irritation.

"Aw, food AGAIN? Yeah, I had a bad feeling about this. She didn't seem very sure of herself… Oh well… Let's head back and hope she had some other brilliant idea."

"I will. Don't be to hard on her, 'Di. She's not feeling well because of the presence of the mirror here."

"I know."

Midna slipped away again, and Link made his way back to the room with the wonderfully warm fireplace to speak to Yeta.

* * *

><p>She must have sensed his mood, because the first thing that the small female yeti said when she saw him was, "What happened, uh?"<p>

"I found cheese," Link answered her with a slight frown.

"…What? Cheese…"

"Yes, cheese," he confirmed with a soft sigh.

"Uh… Did husband move it? Uh… Where in world did we put it… Sorry, I need thinking time, uh. Take cheese to husband, uh? You do that, I try to remember…"

"I will. Please try and get it right this time, okay?.. I can't take much more of this cold here. I don't have fur to protect me like you two do."

She nodded, and he slipped away to the kitchen with an encouraging smile.

* * *

><p>"Uh… Needs… more punch, uh!-" Yeto was mumbling to himself, scratching his chin and side when Link approached him cautiously. "Uh… WHAT? GOOD SMELL! What you have, uh?"<p>

Yeto moved to grab him, but Link jumped back quickly out of his reach, waving a single finger at him chastisingly, not having to say a word, Yeto realizing what he had almost done again to him then.

"Oh, Link! I sorry.. So sorry! Please forgive Yeto? I just used to taking what want, not ask for it.. Sorry.."

"It's okay," Link promised him softly, taking the cheese out of his endless pouch, holding it in both of his hands as he stretched up onto his tiptoes to hand it to him before lowering himself back down when he took it from him carefully. "I'm fine, so, no harm done."

"Mmm! Thank you," Yeto hummed in reply. "-Perfect ingredient, uh!-" The large yeti turned to drop the hollow wheel of cheese into the pot of soup before continuing to speak to Link. "-Little more time on fire, it become gourmet soup, uh! Here! Taste, uh!"

"I will, thanks. I'm really cold, again."

Link climbed up onto the large crates near the fire, pulling out his empty bottle, scooping some of the hot soup up within it, careful not to burn himself as he did so, waiting for it to cool a bit before he drank it down slowly, filling a marvelous, soothing warmth fill his belly, wishing that he could curl up beside the fireplace in the other room and take a nap.

***Then do it, my Love* **Ralis suddenly said in his mind through their mental link.

***But, Ral, I-***

***If you don't go and sleep, now, Link, I'll withhold sex when you come back***

***Rali!..* **Link gasped in shocked horror.

***I mean it, Love, take care of yourself first. I need you, our people need you. The whole world needs for you to be well to fight for our futures***

Link sighed, but he nodded, scooping more soup into his bottle and tucking it away in his endless pouch, nodding briefly to Yeto before climbing down off of the boxes and heading back to Yeta.

***I will, I promise. I love you, Ralis, my Love***

***I love you, too, Link***

***I'll see you soon, my Sweet prince***

***Aye, my Hero***

* * *

><p>"I think I remember, uh!-" Yeta said when she saw him again. "-We put key in nearby room, so no forgetting, uh. How I forget? Embarrassing, uh.-" she marked the room on his map for him. "-See! Here. Place marked by symbol, uh! It there. It must be, uh! You look for me!"<p>

She unbarred the door for him, and he nodded quickly.

"I will, yes. But first, I need to sleep for a while, if you don't mind?"

"Of course," she said, nodding to him with a smile. "You our guest here."

He nodded again with a smile.

"Thank you, Yeta."

Link took the faded, roundish red cushy pillow from nearby, laying it down near the fireplace before stripping off his weapons, sword, quiver of arrows and shield to place them beside the pillow, laying down on his right side with his back to the fire, closing his blue eyes as the light warmed him, imagining that the soothing heat at his back was his beloved Ralis, soon drifting off into dreams, smiling in his sleep peacefully as the Zora man projected his image into his mind, singing to Link softly as the Hylian slept on.

* * *

><p>When Link awoke several hours later, he smiled sleepily for a moment, sitting up and rubbing at his eyes, actually feeling well rested thanks to Ralis's lullaby.<p>

He stood up, strapping his sword back onto his shoulders, then his quiver, and finally his shield before nodding to Yeta, heading through the door that she had opened for him earlier.

He came out into a large underground stone chamber, going through a door to his right, shivering as he was suddenly blasted with snow, pushing a large metal block down into a hole so that he could cross it and grab one of the two remaining cannonballs there, using another metal contraption to get it into the underground chamber.

Then, he used the ball and chain to clear the path ahead of ice and ice monsters, retrieving the cannon ball and carrying it carefully up the spiraling ramp, smashing more ice at the top to reveal a cannon, placing the ball inside it before finding a door to the right of the stone ramp, going through to find another room, killing an ice warrior there and finding a total of six rupees inside the barrels that he crushed, also smashing an ice block to reveal a blue-dotted grappling point.

Link used the ball and chain to make a nearby chandelier swing, hopping onto it and riding across to a blue and silver chest, dispatching an attacking ice bat quickly before opening it to find a small silver key, using the clawshot to get back across to where he came in and exit the room.

He took a path to the left of the stone ramp now, using a bomb to blow up a section of weak floor there, jumping down to find a heart piece inside a blue and silver chest, completing another heart container, with automatically healed him and made him stronger, using the clawshot to get out again, using his key on the locked door just ahead along a faded red runner rug, going through after tossing the key back into his endless pouch.

He smashed a chunk of ice directly to the left of the door with the ball and chain, revealing another grappling point on the wall there, realizing that he was back in the entrance hall of the yeti's stone manor, using the ball and chain to cross over a gap on a chandelier just ahead, killing an ice warrior using the same weapon before it could knock him off his perch, jumping to the other side when he was close enough, going through the next door there.

He killed a large group of spiny ice blobs, as well as two ice bats hidden behind a large chunk of ice, Midna shifting him to wolf and back so that he could take out a ghost in the same place, reclaiming the piece of Jovani's soul that it had taken, bringing his total up to twenty three, going through the door just ahead of him.

He turned right, then went forward, pushing a block out of his way there, descending to the lower room, the one with the block and switches puzzle, using the ball and chain to shatter the ice around the frozen block and over the second switch.

He pushed the block that rested on the first switch north, and then pushed the one that was previously coated in ice south, west, then north, returning to the first block that he'd pushed to send it east, south, west, then north so that it came to rest on the middle switch, opening the other door that had been barred upstairs.

He used the boxes at the back of the room to return upstairs, going through the now open door.

Link emerged in the upper level of the courtyard outside, shivering as he walked carefully along uncomfortably narrow stone ledges, killing three ice warriors with the ball and chain before using the clawshot to reach shelter from the wind at least, going through the door there and back inside, relieved to be out of the cold even though he knew it wouldn't last long.

He smashed an ice chunk directly to the left of the door, revealing a blue grappling point, using the ball and chain to ride across two chandeliers, reaching a chest containing a small silver key, and a door, stepping through it to find himself back in the room with the blocks and switches, making his way from there back into the room of ice, killing the blobs again before moving to the locked door, using his key to go through it before tossing the metal tool away into his endless pouch, emerging into a large room containing two large ice monsters.

He dispatched them with the ball and chain, shoving two metal blocks through the hole there, finding himself back in the room with the spiral stone ramp and cannon that he had loaded earlier, turning the machine to point toward the hole he had come through, dropping a lit bomb inside and launching the ball through it, going back into that room and using the metal contraption there to get it to the other side of the door almost directly across from the cold, empty stone fireplace.

He emerged back outside, smashing a chunk of ice to the left of the door that concealed a blue grappling point, grabbing the cannon ball and proceeding down the steps just ahead to load the cannon there, turning it until it's mouth faced the large ice monster that he could see across the courtyard, dropping a lit bomb inside and smashing it into spiky blobs, jumping down from there to enter the barred door where there was still one single cannon ball left, climbing the ladder to the right, killing the three ice blobs with the ball and chain before entering the door there.

Bars suddenly covered the door behind him, and the door in front of him, so he drew his sword and raised his shield into a defensive position before proceeding into a room full of pews, guessing it to be an old, abandoned chapel to the Three Goddesses.

He used the ball and chain to kill many ice warriors, surprisingly destroying only three of the dark wooden benches, the doors opening as he proceeded through the remaining pews to the door on the opposite side of the room from where he had entered, going through and walking up three red carpeted steps to a blue and silver chest, opening it quickly to find the bedroom key, which was a beautiful, bright blue key in the shape of a heart with a sculpted spike at the bottom of the other end that would open the door, Midna popping up out of his shadow to speak to him again quickly.

**(Author's Note : I actually did only destroy three wooden pews in the chapel. Surely a first for me. :) So, for those of you who might like a challenge, the next time you play _Twilight Princess_, try to destroy less wooden pews then me while taking out the ice warriors in the abandoned chapel. :) He, he.. Back to Link, again! :))**

"Phew… We've finally found the key. That sure took a while…but that mirror shard is as good as ours!"

"Yes, finally," Link agreed with her with a smile before she grinned back, giggling as she drifted away back into his shadow again quickly.

* * *

><p>Link left the room, and was shocked to see Yeta standing there, out in the freezing cold and snow despite her sickness.<p>

"Oh!-" she said when she saw him there. "-You safe, uh! I drink husband's soup, feel much better, uh. So I come find you. You found key, uh! Good! Good! Bedroom right above us. I take you there, uh."

Link nodded, following Yeta up the curving stone ramp to the bedroom with a smile.

"I'm glad that you're feeling better now."

"Uh, me too," she agreed, smiling back at him. "No like being sick.."

"Yeah.. Neither do I.."

Link walked at her side patiently, shaking his head at her suggestion that he go on without her.

"Bedroom right there, you go ahead. No worry for me, uh?"

"No, I will wait for you. It's your room."

"Okay.."

She didn't speak to him again until they reached the top of the long ramp.

"This is bedroom… You unlock it, uh?"

Link nodded, pulling out the key, fitting it into the large, blue and gold heart-shaped blue lock, unlocking it before tossing the key back into his endless pouch, watching the large gray stone door open.

"Thank you.-" Yeta said with a wide grin. "-You come inside…"

Link watched her waddle inside, going in after her quickly, following her across her beautifully decorated bedroom to the mirror shard that hung on the wall at the far end of the room.

"Please… This way, uh. Here… mirror. You look at it, uh… Uh… So pretty… Pretty.. Uh.. So pretty… Pretty… Pretty… Mirror… Lovely…"

***Link, look out! I think she's about to lose it!* **he heard Ralis shout to him through their mental link, warning him just in time as Yeta spun to face him, her kind, gentle face's transformation shocking Link as she bared her fangs at him and screamed loudly in anger.

"NOT TAKE MIRROR!"

All the windows in the room shattered suddenly, filling it with ice and snow supernaturally fast, making the whole room a slippery ice-encrusted danger zone as Yeta was surrounded by it as well, the sudden storm lifting her high up into the air and enclosing her inside a huge mass of ice, only Link's fast reflexes enabling him to avoid being crushed when it fell to the floor.

He used the ball and chain to gradually cut and smash the ice block down to size, freeing the mirror-possessed yeti, only to have her scream and shriek, raging in anger as she was surrounded by ice once again, using yet more ice to form large pillars all the way around her ice prison, Link running to avoid her and the pillars as she continued to try to crush him, eventually shaving her and her ice pillars down to size with the ball and chain despite her severe resistance to his efforts, drinking his bottle of still-warm soup quickly when it became necessary to restore his strength, as his endless pouch kept everything at it's proper temperature magically.

He struck her ice prison for the last time then, slamming it back into the wall, causing it to break with the force, watching Yeta drift back down to the floor as the room returned to normal now, holding out his hands when the mirror shard reformed and floated down to him, Midna popping up beside him as he caught it carefully.

"Well, we have two mirror shards now…-" she said quietly, reaching out with her hair to take the shard from him. "-Two more left, Link. Still… I feel bad about the way we treated that girl. To think the Mirror of Twilight has the power to change people like that… This world… ALL worlds… can be cruel…-" Midna put the shard away now, turning to look at Yeta before she continued to speak softly.

"-Let's hurry up and collect the rest of those pieces, Link! We have to, before more innocent creatures have to endure the suffering this poor girl did…-" Midna floated over to his left, opening up a portal there on the floor. "-Well, let's go search for the two that remain."

Link was about to go approach Yeta and check on her, but then he saw Yeto standing at the door to the bedroom, the large male yeti running to his wife with a worried yell, knocking Link off his feet roughly as he most likely did not see him in his concern for his Beloved.

"Uh…-" Yeta moaned softly as Link pushed himself back to his feet, the Hylian feeling suddenly weak and slightly dizzy as the female yeti spoke. "-Uh… What… What wrong with me?"

Yeto helped his wife sit up gently before he spoke to her.

"Very strange… You just dreaming, uh."

"Yeto!-" she said when she'd turned her head to look at the hook on the back wall where the mirror had previously hung. "-Mirror you gave…"

Yeto shook his large head as he smiled down at her tenderly.

"Forget mirror, Yeta… No. Look into eyes of Yeto… Look in reflection of Yeto's eyes. There true beauty!-" Yeto scooped his little wife up into his large hands carefully before continuing to speak. "-Who need mirror?"

"My Love, uh!" Yeta said, smiling up at him happily with shining eyes, Link collecting the heart container as Yeto held Yeta close within his embrace, walking toward Midna and her portal now.

But he never made it.

Link's head spun with sudden dizziness, his arms flailing slightly as he tried and failed to keep his balance, his blue eyes wide as he fell down, flat on his belly on the floor, the last sight that met his eyes before they slid closed as he fell into unconsciousness was the shocked and worried faces of Midna, Yeto and Yeta, and Ralis's panicked face in his mind as his beloved Mate mouth his name, ***Link!* **though he could not hear it through their mental connection because of the thick fuzziness in his mind before he knew no more.

**(Deleted Scenes Section)**

**~Deleted Scene (1)**

**(I decided to take this scene out after I'd already written it, because it would make more sense, as Link says, to take the safest route to get Ralis back home to Zora's Domain, and that's not on Epona, sadly. I was looking forward to having them ride her together.. ****But, there's always the sequel, right?.. :) **

**Anyway, without further ado, I present to you, Deleted Scene (1))**

"_I'll escort you home myself," Link promised him softly. _

"_I don't trust anyone else with your safety for that long of a journey."_

"_Okay," Ralis agreed, eager to spend more time with his lover before they had to part again. _

"_How will we travel there?"_

"_Epona will get us home, Love. Horse back riding is more sensible then by wagon, as there's only two of us going."_

"_Of course. I trust you."_

**~End of Deleted Scene (1)**

**~Deleted Scene (2)**

**(I took this scene out for the same reasons as the above scene got bumped out, but, I really enjoyed writing it, because it's so sweet, so I really wanted you all to see it anyway. So, here it is! :) **

**Enjoy, Deleted Scene (2)**

_Once they got back to the spring at the far end of the village, Link whistled sharply for Epona where she stood near the sacred water's edge, Ralis watching her turn her large reddish brown body at his call, tossing her head proudly with a soft nicker as she pranced up to her friend and Master obediently, nudging Link's shoulder with her large nose affectionately before she held still finally._

"_Hey, girl.." Link said to her softly, patting and stroking her neck affectionately as he spoke._

"_I need your help, 'Pona. I'm counting on you to get me and Ralis safely to Zora's Domain. _

_I love him, 'Pona, but, I'm sure that you already know that, huh, girl? _

_Our smells must be all over each other by now. Will you help us, 'Pona?.."_

_The horse nodded her head, her large eyes gentle with understanding as they met Link's own, much more intelligence there then a normal horse would possess._

"_Thank you, girl," Link said gratefully, hugging her around the neck for a moment and closing his eyes._

_Then he heard the sound of Ralis clearing his throat to get his attention, opening his blue eyes again to look at him in response, surprised to see Renado standing there beside his Mate, along with Colin and Luda, noticing what looked like a large forest green blanket in the shaman's arms._

**~End Deleted Scene (2)**

**~Deleted Scene (3)**

**(This scene was removed for the same reason as the two above, and should be the last deleted scene that you see. Enjoy! :))**

_Ralis and Link embraced the three of them, Renado, Luda, and Colin farewell in shifts, taking turns to say goodbye before donning their new cloaks, Link mounting Epona gracefully, reaching down to grasp Ralis's right forearm with his hand gently, drawing the Zora boy up to sit on the horse in front of him, both of them waving to those on the ground before Link wrapped both of his arms around Ralis tenderly, smiling as he pressed a kiss to his lover's temple before directing the horse beneath them with his strong legs in the direction of the path to the left of Malo's shop that led out of the village._

**~End Deleted Scene (3)**


	17. Chapter 17 The Temple Of Time

**Thank You for your reviews! : **

** Writer-Girl-19, darkyami1214, fatetinhour, Rogue Blade, Kyon-neko  
><strong>

**Author's Note: **

**Just a warning, you might find this chapter a little boring, as it's mostly Link purging more monsters and finding another mirror shard, but hey, it's one more temple out of the way, right? :)**

**Anyway, the next chapter will be much better, I'm sure, as there's so much going to be in it. Finding the last mirror shard, all the sky characters, the sky book, as well as all the drama with Ilia. O'o Lol. That one's going to take me a while, where as I finished most of this one in one day! :) **

**Now, onto the chapter! :)**

**~Sweet-Hearted SilverEars~**

**Chapter 17 Home **or** The Temple Of Time**

Link rose slowly up through the deep waters of unconsciousness, his lashes fluttering for a moment before his eyes opened to reveal their gorgeous blue color, turning his head on the pillows when he felt someone take hold of his left hand within both of their's, seeing Ralis's concerned face looking back at him from the side of the bed.

"Ralis?.." Link asked uncertainly, wincing as he felt his head start throbbing now with his return to consciousness. "What- How did I get here?.."

"You collapsed, my Love. Up on the snowy mountain peak. Yeto brought you home to me. He had to return to his manor and tend to his wife, but he had me promise to ask you to come back as soon as you were able for a visit."

"Oh. Why do I feel so horrible, Ral?.."

"You have been very sick, my Heart. I and our warriors have tended to you, but it will likely be a few days yet before you are fit to attempt anything involving exertion of any kind."

"Ah, damn," Link sighed, his blue eyes twinkling with mischief and sensual intent despite his bedridden state. "I was so looking forward to torturing your gorgeous body for my pleasure.."

Ralis gasped softly, his cheeks flushing pink at the sudden shift in course that the conversation had taken, his beautiful sea green eyes soft, but also serious as he spoke to his Mate in reply.

"There will be plenty of time for such gloriously wicked things after you have recovered, sweet Link. Now that you have regained consciousness, it shouldn't be more then a few days before you are feeling much better. I shall have some food prepared for you."

"Oh, no, Ralis, my Love, that's alright. I have.. Nevermind. Food would be nice."

Ralis smiled happily at the older man's agreement, lowering his head down to kiss Link's hand where he still held it within both of his own, releasing it after a moment with obvious reluctance when he rose from the chair near their bed.

"I shall return presently with a small bowl of cool fish stew. You should take it easy with the amount you eat at first. We'll have you better in no time, you'll see."

* * *

><p>True to Ralis's word, Link recovered rapidly over the next few days, proving even more the blonde man's resilience, strength, and his innate passion for life.<p>

At the moment, however, his passion was being used for a decidedly different purpose…

* * *

><p>Link drew Ralis yet closer in their bed, surprising the Zora man when his lips were suddenly pressed to his in a definitely passionate kiss, a soft moan of longing escaping Ralis as he relaxed beneath Link's nude body without any resistance, his lips parting in invitation now against his lover's own.<p>

Link groaned appreciatively, holding him even closer as his hot, enthusiastic tongue now explored and mapped out the entirety of Ralis's sweet mouth hungrily, pulling back reluctantly when they both needed air eventually.

"Oh, Goddesses, _Ralis_.." Link panted heavily, his deep blue eyes burning with love and a sheer, animalistic want as he stared down into his Mate's equally needy, lust-clouded sea green orbs. "My Sweet Prince.. I've missed this.. I want you so.."

"You have only to ask for me, my Love, and I shall be there with you," Ralis whispered back, his quiet voice breathless and slightly unsteady.

Then they were kissing again, bodies entwining, already glistening with sweat as they reached the limits of their physical and emotional endurance quickly.

"_Link_ .." Ralis moaned low, shuddering where he now lay plastered atop Link, panting softly as he clung to the man beneath him with obvious desperation. "I.. I _cannot_ take anymore.. _I need you_.. _Inside me_.. Please, come _inside my body_, _I beg of you_!"

Link reached up between Ralis's thighs with his left hand, pleased when his scales parted there to reveal his hard, but also soft, slick cock, gently taking it in that hand and starting to stroke it, earning another loud moan from the smaller male, shuddering as the young Zora's hips moved now, unconsciously rolling atop his as his small hands suddenly tightened with need where he was holding onto Link's forearms, both of them shaking hard with the force of it.

"_Ralis_.." Link said blatantly without any hesitation, looking up now into his sea green eyes. "_I want you to ride me_."

Ralis colored at his statement, but another moan escaped him as he nodded quickly, rolling off of Link reluctantly and onto his belly, then pushing himself up onto his hands and knees with his head facing the bottom of the bed, lowering his upper body down to rest upon the mattress to allow Link to get the access that he needed, allowing his scales to part just as he did so, revealing his no longer virginal, but still very tight hole to his beloved's gaze eagerly.

"Will you ready me for your body, Link?" Ralis asked him softly, and he smiled, his blue eyes softening further though they still burned with lust, thinking that he'd never heard anything sound so seductive, his heart thrumming in his chest as he reached out for the bottle of oil and answered him quietly.

"Yes, my Love.."

Ralis gasped and shuddered when he felt two warm, slick fingers probing at the entrance to his body, his opening softening as he melted at the tender touch, letting his lover's fingers inside easily, a soft cry escaping him at the pleasure of so intimate a contact with his Mate.

Link added a third finger when he knew that Ralis was ready, stretching him open a little more before pulling his fingers away suddenly, reaching out with both hands to grab Ralis by the hips securely, turning the Zora man around so that he was facing him once again, lifting him up easily and settling Ralis down straddling Link's waist and looking down into his eyes.

"Part yourself for me?.."

Ralis blushed, but he nodded in silent reply, lifting himself up with his strong legs where they rested on either side of Link's hips, lowering back down to take his lover's hard cock inside his body, shaking and panting slightly by the time he managed to push down far enough to get all of Link's length within himself.

Link lifted his upper half up off the bed, kissing his prince's lips lovingly as his hands moved gently over Ralis's bare back, relearning his beloved Mate's beautiful form after their time apart.

Ralis relaxed again at his touch with a soft sigh, feeling contented and whole, his world settling again as he kissed Link back hungrily, eventually starting to move his hips at the same time, needing to feel the friction and pleasure of Link inside him that came with this act.

Link groaned loudly into their kiss now, his warrior's body stiffening under his as he slipped his tongue into Ralis's mouth, the pair tasting each other, their bodies moving together slowly at first, then faster as their need increased quickly, Link crying out and clutching at Ralis's forearms tightly as he came, the Zora male gasping as he arched his back above him, releasing over his Consort's taunt stomach with a loud shout before slumping down atop him after Link slipped out of his body when he softened, slipping his arms tenderly around Ralis's sweat-soaked form.

"I love you, Ral.."

"I love you, too, Link.."

* * *

><p>Link stayed on in Zora's Domain for another day and night after that, Ralis and he spending most of that time in their chambers and in their bed together, doing many different things with and to each other, but they did get some sleep as well.<p>

Before Link left once again he made a point of announcing his gratitude to the other Zoras, thanking them for their help in caring for him while he was so ill.

Then, he bid farewell to Ralis again reluctantly, kissing his Mate tenderly, his right hand resting on his lover's bare chest as he took his mouth for all to see, uncaring as to their reaction as he claimed Ralis again, renewing their Bond of Love before their people before pulling back with a smile, though his deep blue eyes were pained as he touched his fingers to Ralis's slightly parted lips gently before turning away to continue on to the next phase of his Divinely Given mission.

***I will be back as soon as possible, my Sweet Prince* **Link spoke through their mental connection.

***I will be waiting, my Heart* **Ralis said with a mental smile in reply. ***I love you, Link***

***I love you, too, Ral***

* * *

><p>After leaving Zora's Domain Link called to Midna, requesting that she take him to Castle Town.<p>

She smiled at him briefly, and then nodded, using the shadow crystal that Zant had used to forcibly turn him into the wolf, taking them both up into the portals and away to Castle Town's main gate.

She shifted him back to his human form, and he smiled at her in thanks before she slid back into his shadow once again and he set off across the bridge into town, sighing as he was ambushed by the mailman.

Though, really, he had expected it after being out of contact for so long while he cleared out the mountaintop manor, then during his illness afterward.

"Mr. Link! WAAAAAAIT!-" the man called out, running toward him across the bridge before continuing to speak. "-Greetings, Mr. Link! I have come to deliver a letter. There is a letter for you, Link. Two letters, in fact! Well, my business is concluded! Onward to mail!"

Link watched the man run across the bridge the opposite way from before, heading back into Castle Town, before he opened his letters.

The first was from Agitha, and he smiled fondly as he read it's contents.

'Agitha had a dream last night. Butterflies surrounded Agitha and lifted her up into the sky.

As she waved to the people below in Castle Town, she could see so many people, some waving back, others staring wide-eyed.

Agitha flew in a big circle above Hyrule Field and the butterflies above formed into a bed beneath her and said, "Let's play again…"

Soon they faded away and she woke up in her own bed. Ohh… Agitha wants so badly to fly in the sky…'

Link placed the letter into his endless pouch, then opened the second one, which was from Yeta, Yeto's sweet little wife.

'I feel bad. You paid me visit and I not much help. I feel better now.

Husband and I sled lots now. Very much fun. Link, you join us at Snowpeak sometime!'

He smiled, relieved to hear of the girl's recovery, slipping that letter into his pouch as well before crossing the bridge to enter Castle Town finally.

* * *

><p>The first thing that he did once in town was head for Telma's bar, entering the establishment before moving to speak to her with a smile.<p>

"Telma."

"Link! I wondered when I'd be seeing you in here again. How's that Ilia doing, honey? I'm sure that Shaman with find a way to get her memory back. That Renado is a talented man, for sure! Anyway, honey, you've got your own things to worry about, so you just make sure you do what needs doing right now, okay? Hey, honey, if you're up in the air about where to go next, maybe you ought to go talk to Rusl. He's in Hyrule's southern wood right now, checking out the lay of the land. If you need detailed directions, just take a peak at that map on the table."

Link nodded with another smile in reply.

"Ilia's fine, and I'll do that. Thanks, Telma."

The woman nodded, then her eyes narrowed as she studied him closely now.

"Are you alright, Link, honey?.. You seem a little pale to me."

"Yes, I'm fine, Telma. I've been ill. It's really cold up on that mountain, but I've fully recovered, thanks to my Ralis and our people. The paleness will fade."

"Well, if you're sure, honey?.."

"I am. I'll go check the map now."

"Okay."

Link nodded once more, smiling again in her direction, then headed for the smaller back room to check over the map on the wooden table there.

***I wonder if the Sacred Grove that Rusl mentioned is near this mark, and if it's the one that we located the Master Sword in…* **Midna spoke to him mentally because of the presence of the others in the room.

***Probably* **Link answered her as he pulled out his map to mark the spot on it, tucking it away back into his endless pouch before speaking to the others now.

"Did you see the sad state of Hyrule Castle?" Auru asked him, the older man's face serious as he spoke quietly. "It's the urgent desire of this group of ours to restore peace to this kingdom as swiftly as possible. Link… Please continue to lend us your strength!"

"Of course," Link replied, surprised at his words. "It's my duty as the hero. But even if it was not.. This is my land, too, my home. I could never live with myself if I failed to do everything in my power to save this world."

Auru smiled up at him at his response, as did Ashei and Shad where they stood or sat around the table.

"Good, 'cause we need you, boy."

"I need you guys, too. You've proven that to me already."

They didn't say anything to that, looking surprised, so Link walked around the table to speak with Ashei now.

"Link, huh?-" she said, stating calmly, "-The beast of Snowpeak hasn't appeared in Zora's Domain since it's last visit. In the end, the troubles in Hyrule and the events on Snowpeak were beyond even my imagination. Honestly… There's got to be someone who knows what really happened…"

"Yeto is the name of the Snow beast, Ashei. He's a good man who was catching the reekfish for his sick wife, Yeta. But she's better now, so he shouldn't come back down the mountain again. At least, not for a while."

"Oh, I see."

Link nodded, then turned to speak to Shad quietly.

"I heard you tell Telma that you have been ill?.." Shad inquired of him, looking concerned.

"Yes, I have been, but I'm better now. Ready to begin the next phase of my mission."

"If you say so, Link. Do be careful, though?.."

"I promise that I will. Well, I'd better get going, then. See you later, Shad."

"Yes. See you."

* * *

><p>From there Link headed to Agitha's Castle to give her the two bugs that he carried, seeing Phillepe hovering by her window again shyly.<p>

He grabbed the boy by the collar of his shirt without a word to him, opening the door and dragging him inside before shutting it behind them both, releasing him as he now approached Agitha with a wide smile, wrapping his arms around her for a moment in a gentle hug before pulling back to address her.

"Little sister."

"Big brother," she said with a giggle, smiling tenderly at Phillepe where he stood behind Link looking awkward. "Have you brought a bug for princess Agitha's ball?"

"Yes," Link answered her with a nod and a smile, handing her the female ant carefully after withdrawing her from his endless pouch.

"Oh, oh, oh, boy! Who's your friend? You're a li'l female ant! Aren't you, you li'l cutie? Li'l ant, li'l ant, I might mistake you for a grain and put you in my cereal… Oh, boy, thank you so much! I'm so happy! Oh, yes! We have a pair! Don't those li'l bugs look happy? Allow me to share this happiness with you!-" she gave Link and orange one hundred rupee before continuing to speak. "-Twenty bugs left until I have them all… Oh, I hope that you'll keep bringing them here! You will, right?"

"Of course, sister," he promised, pulling the male dragonfly out of his pouch and handing it to her gently.

"Oh, oh, oh, boy! Who's your friend? You're a li'l male dragonfly! Aren't you, you li'l cutie? Li'l dragonfly, li'l dragonfly, when you look at me with those great big eyes, I… Oh, boy, thank you so much! I'm so happy! Allow me to share this happiness with you!-"

Agitha gave him a purple fifty rupee now. "-Nineteen bugs left until I have them all… If you don't mind my asking, could you find a partner for any single bug at the ball?"

"Yes, I will."

* * *

><p>Link left Agitha and Phillepe alone after that, asking Midna to take him to Kakariko village, shifting back to human before heading directly for the graveyard, where he knew that the golden wolf was waiting for him patiently.<p>

The shining animal took him to the misty place as before, howling as he turned into the skeletal warrior.

"We meet again. …There are but a few hidden skills left for me to teach you. I have warned you of this before, but if you fail to execute the hidden skill I am about to teach you, your life may be forfeit… Do you still wish to master this skill?"

"I do, yes," Link answered him with a polite nod, though he was a little worried by that, figuring he just wouldn't use the move in actual combat unless he absolutely had to do so.

"Very well…-" the warrior continued at his answer. "-But before we begin, I must test you to ensure you have mastered the last secret I taught you, the mortal draw. Now then, come at me!-" Link preformed the move gracefully and without complaint, watching patiently as the warrior picked himself back up from the ground and then continued to speak to him.

"-Excellent. It appears you are certainly capable of performing my lost art. Very well. My sixth hidden skill is… The jump strike! Let it be hewn into your mind!-" They took up their by now familiar battle stances then.

"-One of the basic sword techniques is the jump attack. It inflicts great damage, but none would call it effective against multiple foes. To perform the jump strike, prepare a jump attack, but focus power in your blade. The surge the blade releases can strike all enemies around you.-"

The warrior preformed the move then to show Link how it was done. "-This is the jump strike! Lock onto your opponent with your eyes, then gather energy into your blade. Wait for just the right time to release your strength!-"

Link nodded, watching him closely as he split into multiple enemies, gathering the energy of the Goddesses into his sword, then releasing it as his swung, the illusions vanishing as the warrior got back to his feet once again.

"-Hmm. Impressive. Do not forget the timing for releasing the power you just felt! The sixth hidden skill, the jump strike, has been passed on!-"

Link preformed the move again before sheathing his sword behind his back easily.

"-There is but one hidden skill left for me to pass on to you. You are already endowed with the strength required of the hero. Do you not already feel the courage granted by this strength as it guides you step by step toward your true enemy?"

"Yes, I do feel it," Link answered the other man firmly.

"Then believe in your strength. Continue to push forward unflinchingly, and without straying from your path. May we meet again!"

He nodded politely, and the warrior faded back into the mist surrounding them, Link waking back in the graveyard.

He pushed himself back to his feet, leaving the graveyard behind and heading for Malo's shop across the street, going inside and speaking to the Goron elder there.

"We now have only one thousand six hundred forty five rupees left before we reach our goal for financing a store in Castle Town, Brudda! Please help us bring relief to the people of Castle Town who are suffering under the weight of an inflated cost of living, Brudda!"

Link gave him all four hundred and twenty one of his rupees, depositing them in the box he held.

"We have only one thousand two hundred twenty four Rupees left! Thank you for your cooperation, Brudda!"

Link nodded politely and left the shop, heading up the street to speak to the Goron standing in front of the Inn.

"We are very grateful to you for saving our chief and our precious mines, Brother. We caused a lot of trouble for the people of this town. It is our turn to repay them! Hey, Brother! Climb up on my back and I will launch you up to the hotel's hot spring!"

"Sure. Thanks, Brother."

"Climb up, Brother!"

Link climbed up onto his large, boulder-like back, getting launched up to the hot spring, making his way up the stairs ahead, seeing an older Goron as well as a young child relaxing in the water.

He greeted them and then used this opportunity to gather hot water for the Gorons in castle town finally, making two trips so that the water wouldn't get cold, first going to the Goron sitting by the newly repaired bridge leading to the section of Hyrule Field near the great stone bridge, then to the Goron that needed to unblock the rockslide just beyond the area where he had first met Agitha.

After that, he had Midna take him to North Faron Woods to locate Rusl and the Scared Grove.

* * *

><p>She shifted him back to his human form and he approached Rusl after she'd slid away back into his shadow, climbing up an incline of earth to reach his side.<p>

"It has been awhile since we took a walk in the forest, huh? Yes, and now our world has changed…-"

They looked around together for a moment, the other man pulling off his helmet before continuing to speak quietly.

"-I knew you would come. I have heard of your brave acts from Telma… I have known her circle of friends since my youth, and of late we have begun to work toward a common goal.-" Rusl put his helmet back on then, seeming to feel more comfortable with his face covered. He didn't blame him. Who knew who was possibly watching them, or when?

"-…So. Let me tell you a story.-" Link turned his head to look over at him now, nodding in silent reply.

"-Do you know about the far side of this deep gorge? Some say there is an ancient temple deep in the woods that guards a sacred power. The ancestors of the Hylians created the temple… Signs of their civilization - - ancient, but very sophisticated - - are everywhere. If someone could obtain the power of those ancient people… Well, I am sure it would go a long way toward saving Hyrule.-"

The two men turned to face each other then, Rusl folding his arms across his chest before he continued speaking to him.

"-Link… Would you take on this task? Would you cross the gorge and find the ancient power sleeping in the temple?"

"Yes.." Link replied with a soft sigh, running his right hand through his blonde hair briefly as he answered him in the manner that he knew Rusl, and everyone else, expected of him.

"I knew you would! But tell me, is there something wrong, Link?.. You seem.. down somehow.."

"I.. I don't want anymore power, Rusl.." he confessed softly, looking down at the ground between them as he explained his uncertainty.

"I already have enough. More then any mortal should have. I know that it's selfish of me, but.. Sometimes I wish.. that it hadn't been me. That I could just be a man with normal responsibilities. Able to do normal things. Settle down with my Mate and raise children. Being the hero.. I can't do that. At least, not until my mission is finished. It.. It hurts me that my lover must wait for me, always waiting for me to come home, yet knowing that I must always leave again. I want to be finished with this, not just for the sake of Hyrule, though I do care, very much, but for my sake as well. Does that make sense?.."

"Of course it does, Link," Rusl said with obvious compassion. "It's not selfish to desire a home, a family. I didn't realize that you had made such commitments. It must be very hard on you both. I've seen that we all have our burdens to bear in this war for peace. Will you marry after the peace returns to Hyrule?"

"We're already married, actually."

"Is that so? I don't remember Bo telling me that.."

"Why would he?" Link asked him in obvious confusion. "He doesen't know."

"You married his daughter and he doesen't know?" Rusl asked in shock.

"What?.." Link said, his blue eyes going wide and round. "I'm not married to Ilia. She's only a friend. Obviously the stories haven't spread as far as I'd thought they'd had. I'm married, or Mated by their definition, to Ralis, Prince of the Zoras, Rusl. I love him. I haven't told many people, because I know the prejudice against such things, and I don't want him to be hurt by it."

"I.. I see. Well, I wish you to be happy together, then, at least."

"We are. Very much."

"Good. To cross this gorge, just use my partner here.-" Rusl called a golden rooster to them, the bird perching oh his arm, docile. "-…Do you doubt my partner's skills? He flies like a dream! Believe me! Well, you will definitely make it across the gorge. Wait and see, my doubting friend."

"Thanks, Rusl," Link said in reply, scooping up the chicken gently. "I don't mind if you tell some people about my marriage, just make sure that they can be trusted, alright?.."

"Of course, Link. I understand."

Link nodded in farewell to him before using the shining chicken to cross over the gorge, as well as the gale boomerang.

He took on the little imp with the horn and his minions again in the forest beyond, finding a ghost along the way, eventually reaching the ruins of the stone building from before and defeating him again.

The boy vanished then, giggling as he went. "Hee hee hee… That was fun! I'll tell you what: I'll let you into a secret place!"

The boy opened the path from before for him, the one that led to where the Master Sword had been hidden, and Link pushed a stone block out of the way of his path forward, idly noticing that it had the symbol of Hyrule Castle etched on it's surface as he did so.

Midna popped up out of his shadow then to speak to him.

"The sacred, ancient forest… So this _was_ what they were talking about…"

Link nodded with a smile, Midna sliding back into his shadow as he jumped down into the forest, seeing a large statue standing in front of a pair of double doors that appeared to lead nowhere.

He bypassed the blockage by going through the underground tunnel from before, locating a male snail for Agitha on the way, going forward to walk between the two statues in the clearing, entering the place where his sword had been hidden before it had claimed him as it's Master.

Some instinct told him to slip the blade back into it's base, so he did, and the statue blocking the doors vanished as he pulled it out again.

He was attacked by bats and a large group of shadow creatures on the way back to the doors, but he defeated them quickly and claimed the portal for their own use before making his way through the tunnel and back up now.

Link approached the stone double doors, taking a deep breath to calm himself before reaching out now to place both of his hands upon the smooth surface.

* * *

><p>The doors opened inward at his touch, and Link walked through them, entering what appeared to be some sort of magical barrier.<p>

On the other side of the barrier was a large, majestic chamber of stone with a high ceiling.

He descended the stone staircase ahead, finding stone statues that appeared to be owls that stood taller then he did to the left and right of the steps, jars containing rupees and hearts, as well as the female snail for Agitha on the left side.

From there he walked back to the base of the stairs, then continued forward over the Triforce insignia on the stone floor, passing in between the two stone giants in reverent silence, feeling the presence of the Goddesses as well as the ancient Sages from the time of his Namesake.

Link went through the stone corridor ahead, up the stairs, then down, emerging into another large room encircled with gorgeous stained glass windows and containing the former base of his sword.

He walked up the three steps toward it, unsheathing his blade now and lowering it into the slot once more.

A set of blue, magical steps appeared, and he pulled the sword out again, watching in surprise as Ooccoo and her son ran up the stairs quickly, the stained glass window then fading away to let them through to the path beyond.

Link kept the Master Sword and his shield in his hands as he ascended the steps of magical energy after them, the window illusion fading away fro him as well, letting him go through the small stone opening beyond it.

He walked down three sets of steps and emerged into a large room, wondering about the strange golden bell-like thing directly in front of him.

After a few moments of contemplation, he went around it and up the stone stairs ahead that led to an ornate, golden door with a small sky-blue stone in the exact center, surprised when Midna popped up out of his shadow to speak to him quietly.

"Link…-" she said, looking to the right of the door as she spoke. "-Don't you think there's something odd about that statue? In the grove and in the temple entry, there were always matching ones on each side, but there's only one here… Why don't you use your senses to take a look around?"

Link nodded, and she transformed him to his wolf form, sitting on his back once again as he moved to the empty alcove to the left of the door, using his senses to reveal the shadowy presence of a second statue.

"I knew it…-" Midna continued then. "-There _was_ more then one here originally. We need to find the other statue in this temple that matches that one."

She shifted him back to his human form, slipping back into his shadow as he located a small hollow statue to the right of the door on a slightly raised platform, carrying it over to the left to another platform and placing it on a switch there, causing a stone platform to rise up from the floor just in front of him, using it to climb up to a large staircase that descended to both of the sides of the room.

He went up them quickly, surprised to find Ooccoo and Junior at the top waiting for him.

"Erm! Not so fast!-" she said to him. "-At last… This is it! This is where I've been trying to get to! The ancient technology of our people sleeps in this place. We've searched all over… and we're so close, I can SMELL it! Once we find that thing, we can go home at last! Oh, gracious, yes! Erm, young man! Link, we're so close… So PLEASE help us find what we're looking for!"

"Of course I will, Ooccoo. What are friends for but to help each other when they need it?"

"Oh, gracious, thank you so much!"

Link nodded with a slight smile, and Ooccoo flew up to land on his right shoulder, Junior slipping under his hat as he went down the stairs on the opposite side from where he'd come up at, finding two unlit metal floor lanterns at the bottom.

He pulled out his lantern and lit them, causing a dark blue chest to appear between them that contained the first key in this temple so far.

Then Link went back up the staircase and up more steps at the top, using the key to unlock the door there, tossing it into his endless pouch before entering the next room.

He went forward and down, not pleased to see a large spider guarding the room ahead, but at least it was smaller then those that they'd encountered in the forest temple.

He killed it quickly with his sword, then used one of the pots in the room to activate a switch that opened two sets of golden bars, collecting up any valuable items in the room, seeing a second spider that had been trapped between the bars on the left side of the room, killing that one as well before proceeding up two sets of stairs and coming to another set of golden bars.

Link used his bow, shooting an arrow to shatter the jar that he'd placed on the switch, causing the other two gates to close, but the one that he needed open to open, turning to the left and going up a flight of stairs, killing a lizard warrior quickly when it charged him before turning to the right and killing a second lizard, then going up yet more stairs.

The room beyond contained two more lizards and three bats, which he killed, as well as a red rupee in a small gold chest beneath one of the windows.

Next he decided to investigate a strange looking statue in the room, surprised when it came to life and attacked him.

Destroying it earned him the dungeon map, and he opened the next set of golden bars by using the little hollow statues and switches in the room.

Link went up the stairs beyond and killed a bat, then turned to the left and went through the next door at the top of two more flights of stairs.

The room was crawling with lizard warriors, and he killed those, as well as taking out the red eye of a statue similar to the ones in the fire temple, only much larger, seeing a large pit in the middle of the floor that was full of large, absolutely disgusting white-bodied spiders, very grateful that a blue energy of some kind seemed to keep them contained there, as well as finding a ghost behind gold bars that he would have to figure out how to get to later.

He went up the long staircase that dominated most of the room then, killing another lizard, having to use the spinner from the desert temple to get up to the very top of the stairs since there was a large gap missing.

He didn't yet have the key for the door at the top, so he went to check out a strange contraption in the middle of the room, using it to lower himself down into the spider pit, killing them all with arrows so that he wouldn't have to get too close, grabbing the little hollow statue that he found there and taking it back up with him, placing it on one of two switches as the opposite side of the room from the door he originally come up on.

Link then found another statue on a small outcropping to the right of the circle with the moving spikes, standing on the ledge that would rise up when he placed the second statue, setting it down and getting a ride up to the door now.

He went inside the next room, surprised when bars lowered down to prevent his exit.

Link destroyed the two statues in that room, collecting the key when it was revealed, as well as a red twenty rupee in a small gold chest at the very back of the room before leaving through the now unbarred door and crossing back to the locked door, unlocking it and going through.

That room contained a puzzle maze of sorts, which he solved with his beloved bow and arrows easily, shooting the jewel at the start of the room a few times to make it through the maze, also shooting out the red eyes of two more statues and collecting the compass before moving on again.

He killed two more lizards, one wearing a white mask made of bone before reaching another puzzle room, using the bow again to shoot the jewel mounted high up on the wall and make it through, encountering several more lizard warriors before he left the room, going up a long set of stairs ahead to go through the next door.

To Link's irritation, the left side of the room was full of both kinds of spiders that he'd encountered so far, but he went on an exterminating rampage with blade and bow, earning a purple rupee for his trouble before he went up the stairs on the left side of the room that the spiders had previously blocked, coming to a pair of large golden scales.

He used the statues already there to balance out the scales and get across them, going up the stairs ahead and to another door, going inside and looking around cautiously.

Now that they were getting deeper into the temple, who knew what they might find there?

He shot out the red eye of a statue, careful to avoid the moving spikes on the floor as he went left, then up a flight of stairs, killing the three lizard warriors at the top.

Link avoided the long rolling rods of golden spikes on the floor of the next room, finding a blue chest containing a key hidden behind a large, deadly looking swinging ax, careful not to get hit by it traversing either direction, using a small hollow statue that he found to dissipate the magical energy blocking his path forward by placing it on a switch, going up a flight of stairs and into the next room to find yet more creepy white spiders.

He killed them all quickly, followed by the two stone statues when they came to life, opening the golden bars to the next area, collecting a purple rupee from a chest before going into it, moving around yet another golden bell-like thing, finding various rupees in pots.

Then he unlocked the door ahead, tossing the key into his endless pouch before going through it quickly.

The door shut behind him, bars lowering down over it, so he walked forward cautiously, seeing the missing statue that they were looking for at the very back of the room silhouetted in front of a large stained glass window there.

However, there was a large, darkly armored knight waiting for him in-between the door and the window.

Link drew his blade, holding his shield out in front of himself as he took a deep breath to try to prepare himself for the coming fight, walking forward slowly to meet him.

The dark warrior turned around then as though sensing his approach, swinging his large sword at him intimidatingly a couple of times before he got down to the business at hand.

Link fought the much taller man, using a combination of the helm splitter and various sword strokes to strip him of all his armor, making the man angry enough to drop his shield and throw his large sword at Link, making him grateful for his Goddess-enhanced reflexes that allowed him to dodge the deadly blade before it could strike him, watching as his opponent then pulled out a second, smaller sword and then flung aside the sheath with a low growl before lunging at Link quickly now that his heavy armor and weapons lay on the floor all around them both.

He leapt aside and spun around the knight, jumping in circles around him to confuse him, slashing out at him repeatedly with the Master Sword to unbalance him so that he could strike, eventually dealing him the last blow, watching the knight stagger a few times as he clutched at his chest, falling forward to land on his stomach as his sword slipped from suddenly nerveless fingers, his form vanishing back into the darkness as he was unable to rise again.

A set of golden bars opened at the far side of the room beneath the window, revealing a blue chest, so Link walked up to it and opened it after sheathing his sword with a flourish, discovering a strange, fancy metal staff-like thing inside called the Dominion Rod, reading over the instructions that came with it to discover that he could use this to control the statue above and take it with him back to where it belonged at the front of the temple.

So he moved back 'til he could see the statue, using the light inside the rod to activate it, leading it down and across the room to guide it beneath the golden bell-like thing near the entrance and watching vanish before leaving to go back the way that he'd come, seeing it reappear beneath the bell-like thing in that room.

So he reactivated it with the rod, using the statue's hammer to smash through the golden bars blocking the way, then figuring out the switch puzzle so that he could get the statue out of the room, descending the stairs behind it, using the statue to solve the next puzzle as well.

Then he woke the statue up again, using it to smash the spike rods so that he wouldn't have to worry about them either, making his way down through all the floors with the thing, using the hammer and bells when necessary, as well as controlling some of the smaller statues to help with switches.

Getting the statue over the scales was a big pain in his ass, but he managed it by using all six of the little statues that he found in the room, leading the bigger statue down the stairs and getting a fierce satisfaction out of using it's hammer to smash all the spiders before sending it through the bell-portal in the middle of the room and heading back up to the scales, using four of the little statues to be able to climb up onto the gray stone pillar on the right side of the double scales, then using the clawshot in order to get up to a much higher ledge, from there using the spinner to go to his right, landing safely on a larger platform.

Midna shifted him to his wolf form and then back again to human after he took back the piece of soul from the ghost hovering there, then he went through the door ahead to face two of the shell creatures like those in the water temple as well as a stone statue, using the clawshot after he'd dispatched them to get up to the room's higher level, finding a red rupee in a gold chest there.

Link then used the two small hollow statues nearby to put on the switches, as well as the shells of the water creatures after pulling them up with the clawshot, opening the golden bars below and revealing the large black chest with the red jewel on it's lid that contained the big key of the same colors, stashing it away in his endless pouch before he left the room quickly.

Then he went back to the room with the scales, going to the next room, continuing ever downward, finding the statue again in that room and using it to smash all the walls in his way, finding many rupees and a piece of heart before taking the statue to the small ramp at the far end of the room and out, going down several flights of stairs and into another room where he again smashed all the walls before sending the statue through the next bell thing.

The next room was the one with the spider-pit on the lowest level, so he took the crank-elevator up higher to find the statue, taking it on the elevator with him before taking it down to the spider-pit now, using the hammer to dispatch them again so that he could take the statue out of the pit, using the statue to collect the ghost's stolen soul by smashing the golden bars that blocked his way to it, then sent it through the bell before exiting the room.

Link had to use the clawshot to get over the golden bars ahead, then he activated the statue again and led it out and away down yet more stairs, smashing through more golden bars and killing a spider, then sending the statue into the bell and leaving the room, finding himself back in the front room of the temple finally.

He used the rod to take the statue up to the left side of the ornate golden door, leading it into its place and putting the Dominion Rod away into his endless pouch as the statue rotated 'till it faced forward and the doors parted and slid away into the walls on either side and out of sight.

Link walked forward and went through another set of doors, managing to avoid the many dangers in the next room, shooting out the red eyes of the various statues and solving the single switch puzzle to open the golden bars beyond, using the Dominion Rod to move the tiny statue off the switch, closing the bars again and opening the set in front of him.

He killed the pair of spiders on the other side that were guarding the large door, finding a fairy in a pot on the left side of the room and bottling in his last empty bottle.

Then, he pulled the key out of his pouch, unlocking the big boss door before putting it back in, pausing to take a deep breath before going inside.

* * *

><p>Link walked into the large dark room, only seeing a few areas of light, his sword and shield already held in a defensive position, feeling his heart pounding suddenly for some reason, his hands slick with the sweat of fear even though he hadn't yet seen the monster who resided here.<p>

He heard something, looking up in the direction of the ceiling, gasping softly, his blue eyes going wide and his entire body freezing in shock as he saw an absolutely enormous gray spider crawling about the room on the ceiling, the creature staring down at him then with the large red eye on her back, pinning him there so that he was literally unable to move even an inch.

Then he felt Ralis's consciousness stir inside his mind, touching him gently, his Zora lover obviously feeling his terror at the task before him.

***Link?* **he said softly, trying to soothe him. ***Link, it's okay. You can do this, my Love. They can help you, the Goddesses. Call on Them for aid. You're not alone, for I am here, and so are They***

***You're right, Ral. Thank you. The panic drove it out of my mind***

"Goddesses," Link spoke aloud quickly, drawing on the Power that They had given him to help himself get through this challenge. "Great Din, Nayru, Farore, help me to get through this, please. Grant me Your power and fearlessness once more, I pray."

Link shivered, relaxing then as power flooded his body in a soothing wave of heat, his blue eyes flashing now with determination as peace filled his mind, allowing him to draw his beloved bow and pull and arrow from the precious quiver on his back, knocking it and aiming upward to shoot the eye, causing her to fall onto her back, exposing her soft underbelly to him.

He used the Dominion Rod then to take control of the statue that was nearest her quickly, instructing it to smash her.

The creature shrieked loudly in pain, retreating quickly back to the ceiling by climbing the walls, sending a large group of her babies after him, which he promptly killed with the Master Sword, shooting her eye before she could burn him with the fire that she sent at him then, causing her to fall again so that he could smash her with the closest statue's hammer.

He repeated this entire process once more, sheathing his sword with a flourish, a look of shock crossing his face when he saw that the eye still lived, growing legs and running away from him with a large group of baby spiders quickly.

Link followed after them, killing the disgusting eye-spider with his bow and an arrow, effectively putting the remaining children to death and causing the mirror shard to reform and float down to Link as Midna popped up out of his shadow to speak to him.

"Three of the mirror shards are ours!-" she crowed triumphantly, taking the shard from him with her hair then. "-Just one left! Link… You saw how nasty that monster was, right? The evil within the shards is more powerful than you can imagine… You know, we could be assembling something truly terrible here… It could be something that we'll ultimately have to destroy…-" Midna floated a few feet away from him and opened a portal. "-We have to hurry! Let's find the last shard, Link! We have to reach the sky! That's where the last shard is supposed to be!"

Link nodded, moving to retrieve the heart container before moving back toward her, all the blood in his body rushing to his head suddenly at the thought of what he had just done.

"`Di…" he said weakly, swaying a little on his feet now. "I think I'm going to faint.."

Then he did.

* * *

><p>Midna sighed, taking him back to the room that led into the temple with her portal, relieved when he woke up again a little less then a half an hour later, smiling at her slightly as he sat up slowly.<p>

"Sorry about that," he said, getting to his feet carefully. "I'm fine now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure, 'Di."

"Okay, then."

Link used the Dominion Rod to move the two owl statues near the entrance, gaining another piece of heart and a stolen piece of Jovani's soul from a ghost before leaving the temple together.

Once they were outside, Ooccoo spoke to them excitedly with her son Junior hovering at her side.

"Well done, adventurer! Ooccoo sees what she was looking for. Goodness, yes! It's the Dominion Rod you found in the temple! But that thing has been around for quite some time. I can see from here that it's magic has been exhausted. Ooh, what am I to… I thought at last we could return to the sky… And I have completely forgotten the spell that would once again bestow it with magic… It can't be helped. I suppose I'll just have to look for the statues that respond to the rod… It's decided! That's what we'll do! That's what we'll do, indeed! Well, Ooccoo is on her way! See you again!"

Link nodded, suggesting that she go to Shad and request his aid, explaining that the man seemed to know quite a bit about her people, and she agreed that that was what she would do before she and Junior flew away together quickly.

"Hey! Wait!-" Midna called, popping up out of his shadow now. "-What did you do to the Dominion Rod? …She's gone. I suppose a useless Rod is really just more baggage, but… What are you going to do? Hmm… Did she just say something about returning to the sky? The last piece of the mirror is also said to be in the heavens… If we can restore magic to the Dominion Rod, maybe it'll come in handy!"

"We're going to Telma's bar in Castle Town, 'Dina. Shad should be able to help us, or at least get us on the right track, anyway."

"Good plan, Link! Let's go!"


	18. Chapter 18 The Sky Temple

**Thank You for your reviews!: **

**darkyami1214, TheMysticalQ  
><strong>

**Author's Note:**

**I'm sorry that it's been so long since I updated. But, I'm going to try to do better from now on, I promise. :)**

**There should only be two more chapters, anyway, though they will be _long_. :) **

**Anyway, enough from me, I think. I hope you enjoy this, even without Ralis being in it until the very end, and I swear he'll be back in the next chapter. :)**

**~Sweet-Hearted SilverEars~ **

**Chapter 18 A Second Mother **or** Restoring Ilia's Memory **or** Shad's Interest **or **The Ancient Sky Book** **And Statues** or **The Sky Temple**

Midna took Link and herself through the twilight portals, the pair of friends appearing outside Castle Town's main gate.

She shifted him back to his human form, then slid back into his shadow when he started across the bridge after smiling at her briefly in thanks, stopping when the mailman called out to him, running out of the town gate and across the bridge toward him.

"Mr. Link! WAAAAAAIT! Greetings, Mr. Link! I have come to deliver a letter. It is a letter from Renado. Well, my business is concluded! Onward to mail!"

Link didn't even wait until the man was out of sight to rip open the letter, wanting to get it over with since he knew what it most likely contained, actually ripping the parchment it was written on a little in his haste, his blue eyes moving over the message quickly.

'Link,

There is something about Ilia's memory that I wish to tell you.

I know you are busy, but please come visit me in my Sanctuary in Kakariko village.'

Link sighed softly, slipping the letter into his endless pouch now, not looking forward at all to what would inevitably happen once his childhood friend regained her memories of him, crossing the bridge into Castle Town and heading for Telma's bar.

* * *

><p>He stepped up to the counter to speak to Telma with a genuine smile.<p>

"Hello, Telma."

"Why, hello, Link. How's that Ilia doing, honey? I'm sure that Shaman will find a way to get her memory back. That Renado is a talented man, for sure!"

"I think he has. I got a letter from him, and I'm going to look into it for him."

"Oh? That's good. Well, anyway, honey, you've got your own things to worry about as well, so you just make sure that you do what needs doing for you, too, okay? If you're unsure about what you ought to be doing, honey, well, why don't you show your face in Kakariko village? Our friend Shad happens to be there right now, looking into this and that. If you need detailed directions, just take a peek at that map on the table."

"I will, thanks, Telma."

She smiled at him and nodded, stepping out from behind her bar to hug him, a little surprised when he leaned against her, relaxing slightly and hugging her back, seeming to need the comfort.

"I wish that I could remember my parents.." Link said softly while she held him in her arms tenderly.

"You don't remember them at all?" she asked him in obvious surprise.

"Not really. I get flashes, sometimes. I feel like.. I left them when I was very young.."

"You left them? Honey, don't you mean that they left you?"

"Oh, no, that's not how I.. It's just a feeling, but I know that I left them. It must have been important that I did, because I never would have run away. I may not remember their faces, but I miss them too much for that. I love them, very much.. I wish that I could remember.. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I'm the hero?"

"I don't know, but, well.. I'm sure that you'll remember someday, honey, but for now, if you want, you can consider me to be your mother, okay?"

Link lifted his head up from her shoulder in surprise at her suggestion, his blue eyes riveted on her kind face as he spoke.

"Really? You would do that for me?"

"Of course, honey. If you'll have me?"

"I will. …Mother."

Telma's eyes looked suspiciously wet as she smiled at him with a wink.

"Right, honey. Now, you can just come on back here anytime you feel the need, Son. For a place to stay, a hug, or if you need to talk about something."

"Thank you, Telma. Really, thank you," Link said to her gratefully. "I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders that I didn't know was there."

"That's good, honey. I'm glad I could help you. Now go on, Son, and help that Ilia, alright?"

"I will, yes," he said with a nod, smiling at her once more as she released him so that he could head to the back room. "See you soon, Telma."

"Aye, honey, see you soon."

Link moved to check the map now, listening to Rusl as he marked down Shad's location on his own map quickly.

"Shad is in Kakariko village now. Would you check on the children if you head that way, Link?"

"Of course. I'm sure they're all fine, though. The Goron's are there to protect them now, after all."

* * *

><p>Link left the bar, asking Midna to take them to the village.<p>

They appeared beside Epona, Midna shifting him back to human form, going back into his shadow as he headed for the Sanctuary with obvious reluctance.

When he got inside, he was surprised to see not only Renado and Ilia there, but the Goron Patriarch, Darbus, and his Mate, Gor Coron as well.

He approached Renado to speak with him first.

"Ah! I have been waiting for you, Link," the shaman said quietly. "Fortune has smiled upon us! If things go well, we should be able to help Ilia recover her memory! Do you know Telma's friend, Shad? Well, it seems he is researching the heavens, and he has come here to see the statue in the basement of the Sanctuary. And, as I have learned, when Ilia was saved, she overheard someone talking about the rod of the heavens, or something like that… The Goron elder believes that to help her regain her lost memories, we must piece together the fragments of her past… Which means… If we work our way backward from the very place where she lost her memory, we may find something that will restore it. Now we must retrace Ilia's path… I am certain it was Telma who cared for her before she arrived in this village, was it not? It would be best to speak with her first. Please take this to Telma!-" Renado handed him a letter for her before continuing to speak. "-…It shames me to say it, but to be honest, I cannot abide Telma's company… But, we have a fighting chance, Link!"

"Yes. Don't worry about Telma. I'll handle the negotiations with her so that everything will go smoothly."

"Thank you."

"Of course."

Link nodded to Renado and moved to speak with Gor Coron, bypassing Ilia entirely.

"Whether we get that girl's memory back, young warrior, will be up to you. Even our Chief, Darbus, has lost the memory of his dark time… We have not told him that you were the one who saved him. He is a proud Goron, and he can be… touchy. If he knew he had been saved by a human… On the other hand, he does have a strong sense of moral duty, so if anything happens; you can count on him to help."

"Don't worry about it, Cor. Your first obligation is to Darbus, your leader and Mate. I understand that because of Ralis. His happiness and well-being will always be my first priority. I would prefer that he not know, anyway. I want friends among your people, like Peter, not more admirers of the hero. But I promise that I'll come to you if I ever need anything that I can't manage on my own, alright?"

"Aye, you do understand. And I'm sure that I, Darbus, or any of our people would be glad to help you, Brother Link."

"Thank you, Brother Cor."

"Of course."

Link nodded to him, then moved to speak to Darbus.

"Little human, it is time for you to show your manliness…for the girl's sake!-" Darbus grunted, flexing his large muscles before putting his hands on his hips. "-If there is anything I can do to help, just say so! It is in times like these that we must come to one another's aid! Not that you could ever do much to help ME, my tiny friend! Gah ha ha!"

Link didn't take offense, his lips twitching briefly as he merely smiled a smile that was slightly knowing as he spoke softly in reply.

"Of course not, Great Darbus, but I'll be grateful for whatever help that you can give me all the same."

He nodded to the huge Goron politely, then reluctantly moved to speak to Ilia now.

"…Link. I remember being saved from a dangerous situation by someone… someone who told me all about the rod of the heavens. But now I can't remember the who, why, where, or what it all means… Do you really think I'll recover my memory? I regret that a complete stranger like yourself got caught up in all of this because of me. I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Ilia. You'll get your memory back, I'm sure of it."

"Do you really think so?"

"Yes. I have to leave now, but I'll be back soon."

"Alright. Thank you."

Link nodded, then moved to go down into the basement to speak to Shad finally.

* * *

><p>Link jumped down into the basement, following the dirt tunnel until he came out into the larger cavern, walking forward to stand beside Shad where he stood in front of the owl statue there, smiling when the other man turned to face him at his approach.<p>

"Oh my… Color me surprised… If it isn't Link! What a coincidence, meeting you in a place like this. How very odd… Say, old boy, do you remember what I told you before about the legend of the sky beings known as the Oocca?"

"Yes, of course."

"Well, I actually had one of them approach me! Isn't that marvelous? She said that her name was Oc- Something…"

"Ooccoo."

"Yes, that was it! And she had a son! How did you know?"

"Because I asked her to come find you. I told you about her before, remember? She and Jr. are my friends, and I knew that you would appreciate meeting them a lot."

"Really?" Shad asked him in surprise and obvious delight. "Well, thank you, Link!"

"Of course. Now, you were saying something about the legend?"

"Yes, well, there's something about it that's been bothering me, so I came here to snoop about… To think that you would appear here with such perfect timing! You really are a rather extraordinary fellow, aren't you? I've found it at long last… Observe the statue! It's the same as the one in the manuscripts my dear father left me. There are many similar statues around Hyrule, but this one seems to be different. Here, look at the belly… There's something written there, you see? This, too, was in my father's notes… It is called sky writing, I believe. "Awaken us with the word that breaks the seal." Yes, indeed, that is what it says. Wait a moment… Isn't that Ilia a friend of yours?"

"She was, yes. A long time ago."

"Oh. Well, it's simply tragic how she lost her memory. And that rod of the heavens she mentioned… I'm sure it has something to do with the word that breaks the seal. Hmm… Isn't there any way to restore her memory? I'm certain it would help us figure this all out… Statues, the word that breaks the seal, and the rod of the heavens…-" Shad said, covering his eyes with his right hand, looking stressed and tired.

"-It just gets odder and odder… Now Ilia's memory is the last clue we have to solving this strange puzzle about the heavens… Link, what shall we do?"

"I'll handle it, Shad," Link said with a smile in response to the other man's imploring look, placing his left hand on Shad's right shoulder gently. "I'll be back as soon as I can. You look tired, though. Why don't you try and get some rest while I'm gone, alright? The beds at the Inn are more comfortable then you would think. I need your brilliant mind sharp and rested if we're going to solve this problem."

"Of course. I'll try. Link?.."

"Yes?"

"How do.. how do you feel about me?"

"What do you mean?" Link asked in confusion.

"I mean.. What exactly are your feelings toward me?"

"You're my friend."

"Only a friend?"

Link gasped softly, his blue eyes widening at his question, immediately jerking his hand away from him as though it had been burned.

"Shad, I… Didn't Rusl tell you?..."

"Tell me what?" Shad asked him, hurt darkening his blue eyes at Link's reaction to his query.

"I'm married."

"To Ilia?"

"No. To Prince Ralis of the Zora Kingdom. I love him, very much. He's my Soul Mate, and I would never be unfaithful to him."

"I see," Shad said with obvious sadness now. "I probably wouldn't have had a chance with you, anyway. I mean, you _are_ the hero.."

"_Don't say that_, _Shad_!" Link said quickly, surprising the other man with his fierce expression in response to his words. "You're intelligent, kind, and a very beautiful man. Exactly my type. But Ralis and I.. He needed me, and I need him. We were destined to be. I can feel it. It was already written in the stars long before we were born. It was our destiny to love each other, just as much as it was my destiny to be the hero of the Goddesses. I'm sorry, but that's just how it is. Get some rest, okay? I'll be back soon."

"Alright. I understand."

"I hope that we can still be friends?"

"Of course."

* * *

><p>Link left the Sanctuary and returned to Castle Town through the portals, crossing over the bridge after Midna shifted him back and heading for Telma's bar bearing Renado's letter.<p>

* * *

><p>"Oooh! Well, if it isn't from Renado, the shaman!-" Telma said as she read the letters contents, putting her hands on her hips with a smile.<p>

"-All this writing, and he doesen't bother to mention a thing about little ol' me? Honey, that is what I call RUDE!-" she frowned, then smiled again as she continued to speak.

"-Well, there's no accounting for the foolishness of a man. And at least I understand Ilia's situation now. Of course I can lend a hand for that adorable little girl! Hmmm, what else do I know… The first one to bring Ilia to this shop was that doctor…Maybe he knows something, but he's a crusty old bat, that's for sure… Ah… I've got it! Honey, you go ahead and take this to him. This magic little paper will get that codger talking!-" Telma gave him the doctor's bill for the bar, and he was shocked at the sum the man owed her.

"-It sure would be nice if she started remembering things soon, eh, Link?"

Link nodded wordlessly, pasteing a smile on his face at the thought of the inevitable explosion to come when Ilia finally regained her memory.

* * *

><p>Link left the bar, heading past Jovani's house to make his way to the doctor's medical clinic, going inside to speak to the man.<p>

* * *

><p>"Eh? What's that?-" the doctor said when he noticed him. "-Just as I wondered who it might be, I see it's the admirable young lad who was willing to help the Zora boy for nary a single rupee… Just what is it you want, lad? A physical? You've some money, don't you?"<p>

"Actually, I'm here for information," Link explained, inwardly shuddering at the thought of having the man's hands on his body, though he concealed it well.

"Information?.." the doctor asked, his eyes going shifty behind his large glasses. "What kind of information?"

"Information about the girl that you brought to Telma."

"I don't know nothing about her."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. Um.. …By the way, that girl Ilia didn't mention anything about me, did she?"

"No, but I think that you know more then you're saying."

Link showed him the tab from Telma now, smiling in amusement as the doctor's eyes went big and round.

"AIIIGH! L-Look! I can't pay this off right now! I can see Telma's hired you as some sort of heavy to strong-arm me, but she'll have to wait! Look, lad, if I'd been able to see that wooden statue that young lady had, I would've been able to get the money… But see, I accidentally spilled medicine all over that little carving, which made it stink awfully. I put it outside to dry…but then… Well, it was stolen. Who goes around stealing people's stuff like that? What a world! You always have to be on guard, eh? … …Uh, look, Mr. Heavy, at any rate, neither the money nor the carving is here, so I can't repay you. Now, to work, to work…"

Link watched the doctor walk away, going further into the medical clinic before locating a box and pulling it out of the way, finding the place where the older man had spilled the medicine, shifting to wolf since the doctor couldn't see him to learn the smell, sniffing at it quickly before shifting back and leaving the clinic.

* * *

><p>Link left the town to his left through the side gate there, shifting back to wolf before going back into town and following the medicine scent using his heightened senses, ignoring the screaming people around he and Midna, surprised when the scent led him back to the bar and straight to Telma's white-furred cat Louise.<p>

"You're looking for the wooden statue that Ilia had, aren't you, dear?-" she asked him. "-Think it's a coincidence that I happen to know it got stolen from the doctor's place? No… Yes, I'll admit it… I took it. But then I was attacked by some sort of skeletal dog beasts who took it from me. I don't know why those beasts were after her statue… I thought it likely that she was in a dangerous spot, though. Those fiends lurk just outside the southern gate… Unfortunately, they only come out at night. …And another thing… They always move around as a pack. You won't get that statue back unless you give them all a thrashing…-"

Link nodded his furry head, thinking that it was a good thing then that he felt like thrashing something because of the volatility of this situation with Ilia.

"-That statue sounds like a key to getting Ilia's memory back… You must get it back!"

Link nodded politely with a wolfy grin, then headed off for the southern gate to find the pack of skeletal dogs.

* * *

><p>It didn't take him long to take on all of them, retrieving the statue for Ilia and then traveling through the portals back to Kakariko village, Midna shifting back to human form before heading back into the Sanctuary reluctantly.<p>

He took out the statue from where Midna had placed it in his endless pouch for him, holding it out to Ilia warily and watching her face light up as she took it in her hands.

"What… is this?-" Link, Renado, Gor Coron and Darbus all watched her as she moaned in pain and clutched at her head with both hands now.

"-I… I remember something… I was confined somewhere… Yes, and I was saved by whoever was confined with me… And when that person set me free, they gave me this statue…-" Ilia gasped loudly suddenly and straightened up from her slightly hunched position. "-Yes, yes, I remember that much! But that means… that person is still in trouble!-" Her expression was sad and worried as she continued to speak. "-Oh, what is WRONG with me? I can't remember where that place was!"

"I REMEMBER!-" Gor Coron spoke up suddenly, his small black eyes eager now to assist Link. "-I thought I had seen that before somewhere… That statue belonged to the tribe that protected the Hylian Royal Family long ago. They worked in secret, so they lived in a lonely, forgotten place. But I heard that the tribe dwindled in the prolonged wars…-" Then he bent over closer to Link, speaking for his ears only now. "-If you want to find the hidden village, look for a path leading to the Lanayru Province on the far side of the bridge of Eldin.-" He straightened up again then so that everyone could hear him, watching Ilia where her hands were clasped together in front of her.

"-But… a rockslide blocked the way to the village long ago, so you can't get there anymore.-" Ilia looked even more worried now.

"-What? Oh. I do not mean to worry you, little human. Problems like these are not problems to Goron's.-"

Gor Coron turned to Darbus, nodding slightly, and the Patriarch nodded back before stomping off outside to go deal with the rockslide problem, Gor Coron turning back to speak to Link again. "-Our Patriarch, Darbus, will be waiting for you up ahead. Look at your map to see where. I would try to find the path beyond the bridge of Eldin that leads to Lanayru Province."

"I will. Thank you, brother Cor."

"Of course, brother Link."

* * *

><p>Link left the Sanctuary and walked toward Epona, patting her nose gently before swinging himself up onto her back.<p>

It was night now, but there was no time for sleep.

He rode past the Inn, and the young Goron boy selling his wares near the pass up to Death Mountain, riding through the gate and out to Hyrule Field.

They were assailed by many foes along the way, but he fought them off successfully until they eventually reached the bridge of Eldin where the creatures fell back for some unknown reason that Link was grateful for, making his way forward on Epona along the path ahead, dispatching many goblins before reaching the path to the hidden village, dismounting from his horse with a quick, affectionate pat to her strong, sleek neck before entering the stone tunnel just in time to see Darbus break through the rock wall blocking the path, the Goron Patriarch turning to speak to him with his hands on his large hips when he was finished.

"There is a hidden village up ahead, little human. The elders call it a forgotten place. This scent that has been burning my nostrils… it is the scent of evil,-" he said, sniffing at the air before continuing to speak. "-There is one powerful creature I have seen about… but under that beast are many minions who attack and plunder like a pack of hyenas. There are thirty… No… At most, twenty of them ahead… They are probably just a small band of survivors… Ragged remnants who have settled, leaderless, into this village. If that is all there are, little human, then you alone are more then enough for them. But you will have to defeat them ALL to save that girl's benefactor. Before you go, I will tell you the secret to besting them, destroy them all before they spot you! Got it, little human?"

"Yes," Link said with a smile that was slightly dazzling. "Thank you, Darbus, for all your assistance. I'm grateful."

The large Goron nodded, actually looking a little embarrassed at his words before he curled up into a ball and rolled away.

* * *

><p>Link slipped into the hidden village under cover of darkness, relishing the challenge as he drew his bow silently and nocked and arrow from his quiver, peering around with his sharp blue eyes to shoot down the goblins that were on guard on towers or buildings, as well as the ones visible on the ground or through windows, shooting explosive barrels to some of them.<p>

Then he slipped inside the buildings, using the porches on the upper levels to take out the rest with the assistance of the clawshot in order to get to places that he couldn't have otherwise, finding a ghost near the entrance to the village and reclaiming what it had stolen.

The last goblin that he took out was high up on a tower at the very back of the village, and he watched as the door to a building near it opened and a little older woman with silver hair came out cautiously to look around the now empty village.

"The howls of the beasts…-" she stated quietly. "-They've faded into silence…"

Link walked toward her slowly so as not to alarm her, but to his surprise she seemed to be expecting his arrival.

"Wait, are you… The Savior! It's you, the Savior! Please, please forgive me… for not opening up the door. My name is Impaz. I'm the last resident of this poor village. My name comes from the great one who built this village so long ago… This village was once the secret home of a proud tribe who served the royal family… But it fell into decline, and became infested with dangerous beasts. It's become an awful place… Excuse me for asking, but is your name…Link?"

"Yes, it is."

"Ah! I knew it… So then, you saved that nice girl?"

"Yes."

"…How lovely. When she was here, she would often cheer me up by saying that you would come to help. That sweet girl… She worried about this old woman even as I helped her to escape from here… By royal order, I can't leave this place until a certain person arrives. …No matter what terrible fate is visited upon it… Oh, but listen to me blather on! I have a favor to ask, would you help me return this to her? I think she always kept it close to her heart, but even so she didn't hesitate to part with it in order to protect me…-"

Impaz handed Link a strange horseshoe shaped thing on a leather necklace before continuing to speak. "-I believe in my heart that it's kept me safe all this time… So please… I ask that you return it to that girl."

Link nodded politely, promising her. "I will."

She nodded in reply before speaking again.

"That dear girl deserves her charm back. …And tell her that this old biddy was very grateful."

Link nodded again, turning to go now, quickly exploring the village more thoroughly before he left, thankful that he had done so when he located a singing stone behind one of the old buildings to his right on his way back through town, Midna shifting him to wolf at his request so that he could howl along with it's tune, though he had to leave the village in order to shift so that the old woman couldn't see, returning to the stone.

He howled the tune again, alone when the shining wolf, listening when it spoke to him before leaping away into the surrounding mists.

"Let teachings of old pass to you… Take sword in hand and find me…"

The mark of the wolf was on his map, telling him where to go next to find the dark warrior.

He left the village again before Midna shifted him back to his human form, dispatching the goblins that waited for them outside before locating Epona right where he'd left her, swinging himself up onto her back and riding toward Kakariko village.

* * *

><p>It was still night when he made it back to the village, walking Epona back to the spirit's spring before dismounting and patting her on the nose gently, smiling slightly when she snorted as though to reassure him when he looked toward the Sanctuary with a quiet sigh.<p>

"Thanks, pretty girl. You always make me feel better. I'll be back, 'Pona. Wait here?"

She nodded, tossing her head with a soft whinny, and Link grinned, petting her strong neck briefly before heading inside to give Ilia the charm from the kind old woman, surprised to see that Gor Coron was there still, though Darbus was not, probably having returned to the mountain after helping him out at the hidden village.

He stepped forward, retrieving the charm from his pouch and handing it to Ilia carefully.

She gasped as she took it from him, her eyes closing as she spoke softly.

"I… I knew you once… Yes… This feels so familiar… The scent of hay… Long ago… When we were young, you and I… You were always there… You were always beside me…-" A tear rolled down Ilia's left cheek before she opened her green eyes, smiling at him before saying his name. "-Link.-"

She was obviously lost in a memory of days long over, so Link did not bother to speak, Renado and Gor Coron leaving them alone now, and the children watching through the window left, but for Talo, whom Beth had to pull away forcibly.

"-This gift was meant for you. It was something I wanted to give you before you left on your journey.-" she looked up at him with a soft-eyed smile then. "-Please, Link, take it.-" She handed it to him, confused by the look of old sadness that crossed his face, and he realized that when her memories returned, she had forgotten everything that had happened here in the village, or at least that he was with Ralis anyway.

He was too tired to explain it to her right now, especially when it was likely to devolve into another lone of their legendary arguments from recent years now passed, inwardly sighing as she continued to speak.

"-You don't need to worry about me any longer. Whenever you return… I'll be waiting for you.-"

Renado came back in then to listen, to Link's relief, not wanting to be by himself with her.

"-Link… Do you remember what I was saying about the rod of the heavens? Well, actually… It was about the messenger to the heavens who held the rod… The nice woman who saved me told me about it… Apparently, in this woman's village, they've guarded something for the heavenly messenger for generations, so they await him. But they can't give this item away until the messenger arrives with the rod… That's why the lady couldn't leave her village, you see… Say, Link… Do you have any idea who this messenger to the heavens might be? Or even what the rod is? I'd sure like to help that lady, and if we can introduce her to whatever messenger to the heavens has the rod… Anyway, Link… Don't you worry about me."

Link nodded wordlessly, turning to Renado to speak to him now.

"That acquaintance of Telma's is in the cellar right now,-" the older man said quietly. "-He is very interested in that ancient statue down below the Sanctuary…"

"What do you know about the statue, Renado?" Link asked him.

"Actually, I do not know anything about the statue down below the Sanctuary. You see, it was already there when I became the shaman here… If you are interested, you should descend and go see it for yourself, Link."

"I have, I just wondered if you knew anything else about it. I have to leave again now, and I'll return in the morning after I sleep. If I do not rest soon, then I won't be much use to anyone."

"Of course, Link. May you finish your errand safely."

"Thank you. I ride for the hidden village."

Link left the Sanctuary and greeted Epona briefly, deciding to take the portals this time instead of his horse as he was so tired and wasn't sure he'd be able to navigate past the enemies to get there safely.

He ran the rest of the way on his paws from the bridge of Eldin to the village, Midna shifting him back to his human form before he entered the mostly deserted town again.

Link walked through the village, which was positively overrun with cats now instead of goblins, the adorable creatures meowing and following him up the street to the old woman's house as though he were some kind of cat piper.

He smiled at the thought as he opened the door to go inside, discovering yet more cats, these playing with balls together, or staring at him and meowing as he moved to speak to Impaz.

"Is that girl doing alright?-" she asked him with a smile. "-I haven't much to offer, but please make yourself comfortable here…"

"Ilia's fine, but that isn't why I'm here."

Link reached into his endless pouch to withdraw the Dominion Rod, holding it out to her in both hands so that she could examine it closely.

"Hey! That rod…-" the older woman said in shock, clasping her hands together in front of her face as though to prevent herself from reaching for it. "-Is that the Dominion Rod?"

"Yes."

"Ahh… Could it really be? Are you the messenger to the heavens?"

"I guess so," Link tried to joke, struggling with the fact that the weight of another prophecy now lay on his shoulders, listening attentively as Impaz continued to speak.

"Among the legends of my clan, there is a story from the time when the Oocca still maintained contact with the royal family. Yes, it said that a mysterious rod was handed down from the people of the Sky, and it was called the Dominion Rod… The rod was only to be carried by the messenger to the heavens when the royal family needed to communicate with the Oocca. From generation to generation, my ancestors have guarded the book that, by royal decree, was to be given to the messenger to the heavens. This is that book. Please take it.-" Impaz handed him a soft, leather bound book titled the Ancient Sky Book carefully. "-This book is written in the ancient language of Sky Writing. I am so glad I stayed in this village… If I had not met that young girl, what would have become of me? Meeting that girl must have been ordained by the gods, so that I could be here today to pass on this knowledge… Yes, I was meant to pass on that ancient book from the heavens to you… Please, take care of yourself."

"I will, Impaz. Do you think that I could maybe stay the night here? I am very tired, so I'd rather stay and go back to Kakariko fresh in the morning."

"Yes, of course, Messenger. Be my guest."

"Thank you. And please, just call my Link."

* * *

><p>Link woke early the next morning, bidding farewell to Impaz, assuring her that he would inform Ilia of her well-being.<p>

Then he left the hidden village once more, Midna shifting him back to his human form, sliding back into his shadow as he headed for the Sanctuary to give Shad the Ancient Sky Book so that the other man could decipher it for him, Ilia calling out to him then so that he reluctantly turned to face her.

"Is that Shad fellow down there a friend of yours, Link? I need to give him my thanks!"

"I will tell him for you."

"Really? Thank you, Link."

He nodded, giving her a small smile before heading down into the basement.

He walked up behind Shad quietly, placing a hand on his right shoulder, pulling it back when he turned around to face Link.

"I brought you something.." Link said quietly, carefully withdrawing the ancient leather bound book from his endless pouch and placing it in Shad's hands gently.

"What's this?-" Shad gasped, his blue eyes going big and round behind his spectacles as he looked at the book, his fingers turning the old and delicate pages carefully, like a true historian would do. "-Ah! It's Sky Writing! Where in blazes did you get this?"

"From Impaz. The old woman in the hidden village."

"You don't suppose this could be the word that breaks the seal?..."

"I don't know, but give it a try, Shad," Link encouraged him with a smile.

"-R-Right!-" the other man stammered, his cream-colored cheeks flushing in response to Link's smile as he turned to face the owl statue. "-Let's try it out!-" Shad held the book out toward the statue, murmuring the words softly in a sort of humming tone of voice, sighing when nothing happened. "-No reaction.-" He turned back to Link before continuing to speak quietly, his expression even more frustrated now. "-So it is not this statue… Urgh…-" Then he straightened again to look Link in the eyes directly. "-…Link, thanks ever so. You have brought me one step closer to solving this puzzle. I shall give the book back to you. Now! I shall try out this word on other statues! I have made the rounds of these statues so many times that I have memorized their locations. I will place marks on your map for you so you can find them, incase you wish to track me down. Remember, every one of those marks is near an owl statue! Now, if you'll excuse me!"

"Of course. I'll investigate them, too, and see what I can find. Be careful, Shad. And.. Ilia says 'thank you'."

The other man nodded, and Link watched him walk away deeper into the basement, surprised when he heard a loud humming sound coming from his pouch, reaching inside to withdraw the Dominion Rod, which was recharged, glowing and pulsating with life once more as Link held it up high above his head.

He smiled, putting it away again, and Midna popped up out of his shadow to speak to him with a wide grin on her tiny face.

"The writing in the book was a spell that imbued the staff with magic! Now you can do to the other statues what you did before… So… He did say he would mark your map wherever there was a statue, didn't he? Then we should go check out those spots, right, Link?"

He nodded wordlessly in reply, and she smiled, watching him pull out his map to check the closest location, taking him to Kakariko gorge when he asked her to.

He located the statue to the left of the bridge that spanned the gorge and back in an alcove of earth, pulling out the Rod in order to bring the statue to life and move it, finding one of the missing sky characters and restoring it to the book, checking the map again and heading toward the bridge of Eldin.

The sun was just coming up into the sky when he located the second statue on his left of the side of the long stone bridge that led to the hidden village, collecting the sky character beneath it before heading for Castle Town's main gate, finding the next statue and character to his right atop a pillar in a vast amphitheater of stone, killing the two goblins lurking there as well as using the statue to reach the chest atop a second pillar that contained an orange one hundred rupee before leaving there on foot to head toward the bridge that spanned Lake Hylia.

He killed a goblin along the path, locating the next statue to the left and back from the bridge, using the rod to bring it down and the clawshot so that he could get up and onto it to jump across for the sky character, heading for the next statue now as it started to get dark out again.

The sixth statue was just outside Faron Woods, concealed behind a rock near Coro's clearing that Link had to blow up to get to the statue.

The seventh, and last, statue was located on the Gerudo Mesa, or the desert, to his right from the place where the chunk of Eldin bridge had been, and Link was grateful to be there in the cool of the night rather than the heat of the day, collecting the character before traveling through the portals to Castle Town's main gate briefly, Midna shifting him back to his human form so that he could walk up the steps and onto the bridge so that the mailman would see him, waiting for his approach patiently.

"Mr. Link! WAAAAAAIT! Greetings, Mr. Link! I have come to deliver a letter. It is a letter from Shad. Well, my business is concluded! Onward to mail!"

The man ran off again back into Castle Town, and Link opened his letter.

Dear Link,

After we parted, I tried that word on all the statues I could find in Hyrule, but it was a disaster! How disappointing!

…But if I let something so small get to me, my dear father will scoff at me from beyond the mortal coil.

I'm going back to the Sanctuary in Kakariko village to see if I can't find another lead.

I certainly hope that if you find anymore information, you will share it with me posthaste.

The dream chaser, Shad

Link smiled as he slipped the letter into his endless pouch, then traveled through the portals back to Kakariko village.

Midna shifted him to his human form, and he headed into the Sanctuary and back down to the basement to speak again with Shad.

"Ah, Link. Did you read my letter? As it turned out, that word I learned from you didn't do anything with the statues I found… After all that, I wonder how that word was supposed to be used… Since it was written in Sky Writing, I was sure it had some kind of meaning…"

"Don't worry so much, Shad. You are doing fine. You've helped me a lot, already, even though you may not know it."

"Really?" Shad asked him with hopeful eyes.

"Yes. Now, here, take this."

Link handed him the Sky Book again with a smile.

"Is this that book from last time?-" he asked, his eyes widening as he looked over the pages again, reading them quickly. "-…Hm? Are there more letters in the word then the last time I looked at this? How did you investigate the… Link, this is amazing! Amazing!-" Shad turned to the owl statue before continuing to speak. "-Now THIS must be the word we need! Let's try it immediately!-" Shad held out the Sky Book in front of himself again, intoning the words softly, and the two men watched the middle of the statue dissolve into golden light. "-Ah! It has taken on the same shape as the other statues… What can this mean? And I thought we had solved the last of the riddles… Blast! How confounding!-" Shad sighed, putting his face in his own right hand in aggravation. "-…I must apologize, Link. I need to cool off a tad before I mull the problem further…"

"Of course," he reassured him. "Take your time."

Link watched him walk away again, then turned back to the statue, taking out the Rod and using it to move the stone owl out of their way, revealing the way to a huge underground chamber behind it.

Link looked around in awe at how big it was, noticing a large, broken contraption in the middle of the cavern, hearing Shad call out to him from behind as he came down the long flight of stairs after him.

"Link?-" Link turned to look at the beautiful man, placing the stone contraption at his back. "-How in blazes did you move that statue? And… What's this…-" Shad walked forward further into the cavern to study the thing curiously. "-Amazing! Spectacular! This must be the Sky Cannon I read about in my father's notes! I knew that my intuition was onto something when it led me here! …But how can one use this to get to the city in the sky?-" Shad turned back to look at Link with a dazzling smile, and Link somehow managed to keep his expression level and business-like despite the way that he felt the tips of his ears burning in response. "-Stunning… I feel almost…nervous! Just think, if we could get this to work, we could actually reach the City in the Sky…"

Link walked forward toward the cannon, and Midna popped up out of his shadow to hover above it as she spoke. "A cannon, huh? What do you plan to do with this, Link?"

"Take it to Fyer. Maybe he can repair it," he answered her quietly so that Shad wouldn't hear him and think that he was talking to himself, though, for all he knew, the man might be able to see her when others couldn't because of his interest in the supernatural.

"Well, that's a good idea.. …Except that guy's still watching you…"

"I'll handle it, sister," Link said with a grin up at her, and Midna giggled as she watched him walk over to Shad again.

"…Ahh! Perhaps… I am in your way?"

"Well.. kind of. But don't worry about it. It's okay."

"Well, forgive me for not realizing! I should just disappear at times like this, really. So… Let me know the results another time, Link."

"I will, I promise."

"_Ohh_! You'll be wanting your book back, too, I suppose?" he asked, though it was obvious to Link that he was loath to part with it.

"Keep it," Link said with a smile, causing Shad's blue eyes to light up with joy in reaction.

"Really?"

Link nodded in reply. "You'll take better care of it then I ever could."

Shad was so excited that he jumped forward to throw his arms around a surprised Link, the spine of the book in discussion digging into Link's left shoulder blade, Shad pulling back quickly with a red face when he realized what he had done.

"I'm sorry! Sorry.."

Link merely smiled, reaching out his left hand to take hold of Shad's chin gently, leaning closer to press a brief kiss to Shad's right cheek before pulling back and releasing him.

"Don't fret so, Shad. You'll get wrinkles far too early," Link teased him in a friendly way. "Now go on. I hope to see you soon, my dear friend."

"And I you," he said softly, looking embarrassed and flushed now over his kiss. He stumbled away from Link toward the stairs, stopping for a moment more with his back to Link. "…Ah yes! Let me give you one last piece of advice, my friend… That seems to be broken, so you'd do well to show it to a cannon expert first, I should say!"

"Thanks, Shad. I happen to know one."

"Well… That's good. Farewell!"

Then Shad was out of sight and Midna spoke to him again. "…I wonder if I put him off?"

"If you did, my kiss likely made him forget all about it.." Link said with a grin, causing the girl to giggle.

"You're probably right. Did you see his face?.. He looked about to faint. Well, let's get this thing to Fyer, then."

"Yes," Link agreed as he walked back over to the cannon and Midna opened the portals.

Then they were off to Lake Hylia.

* * *

><p>The cannon, Midna and he landed on the largest patch of land on the lake in the dark of night, and she shifted him back to his human form, slipping back into his shadow as he walked across the bridge of the side of the island to his right, approaching Fyer's hut to speak to the man.<p>

"Hey, buddy!-" Fyer looked over to the cannon on the island before continuing to speak. "-So… Uh, is that yours? Heh heh… Hey, buddy, I never thought you'd get so hooked on fantastication that you'd try to build your own cannon! So…are you gonna give me the tour or what? Looks like you have a serious rig over there…-" Link nodded, the two of them walking back to the island together to study the cannon. "-Whoa!-" Fyer said in obvious surprise. "-It's kind of…retro, huh? And there's no ignition device, so you can't even use it.-" Fyer turned to look at Link then. "-Listen, buddy, I suppose I might be able to fix it for you… I mean, maybe… That is, if you can pay me three hundred Rupees… in advance, Whaddaya say?"

"Of course." Link withdrew his moneybag from his endless pouch, withdrawing the exact amount and handing it to him carefully.

"Heh heh… I knew you'd see the light, buddy. Now I'll just be a sec!"

… The repair of the ancient cannon actually took three days, so Link spent that time with Ralis and their people, and on the dawn of the fourth day, Link went to speak to Fyer.

"Well, here we go, buddy.-" the man said to him. "-All working as it should… I think. It may look like junk, but this things got some powerful innards! You're going to be knocking on the door to the heavens! Seriously, bud… It might be rough! So… I'm sorry for soaking you for the dough. I'll leave you alone, then."

"Don't worry about it," Link told him truthfully. "I don't normally have much use for money, anyway."

"Heh heh… Well, you just have all the fun you want, okay, buddy?"

Link nodded, watching the man walk back to his hut before going over to the cannon, not really surprised when Ooccoo and her son ran to join him, the three of them getting launched up high into the sky.

* * *

><p>They landed in a large stone pool of water, Link's head spinning from the rough transportation as Ooccoo spoke to him.<p>

"Phew! Gracious, we made it back! Finally! Welcome, adventurer! This is the Sky City of the Oocca. Erm, since you came all this way… I guess I can give you a tour of the city… Eeeeeek!-" A large dragon wearing thick black armor flew overhead then, and Ooccoo and Junior began chattering rapidly in high-pitched tones, speaking to a third Oocca when it ran over to them where they stood on the steps now.

"-Ooh, goodness… Brave adventurer Link, you won't believe it! There's a dragon raging outside the city walls… Ooh, I'm terribly worried about everyone… I'm going to check in that shop for survivors!"

Link nodded, watching them all run off to the shop, crawling out of the water onto the steps himself, then promptly threw up because of the way that their mode of arrival had jarred his more delicate human system.

He groaned and washed his face clean, then his mouth, before heading for the shop, having to use the iron boots because of the strong gusts of wind that blew intermittently this high up in the clouds.

When he went into the small building, he moved to speak to Ooccoo and Junior.

"Ooh… Erm, sorry for earlier, Link… Ooh! But you're planning on walking around the city and taking it, right? I'm worried about the others and this is an emergency! I can't just stand around waiting! Please take me, too! I won't help you warp to the surface of your world, but I WILL bring you back to the shop anytime!"

"Of course," Link said with a smile. "It's completely understandable that you'd be worried about your people. So am I. But I can best help them by continuing what I'm doing here."

"Ooccoo nodded in understanding, flying to his shoulder while Junior slipped beneath his hat again, Link moving to speak to the shop-keeping Oocca behind the counter, listening to his squawking for a moment in confusion until he realized and switched languages thoughtfully.

"You are Hylian? No? I speak a little Hylian. You understand me?"

"Yes."

"See something you want? Pick it up.-" Link bought arrows and bombs to replenish his stores, then moved to go with a smile. "-Come again!"

He nodded and left the shop with Ooccoo and Junior to accompany him, using the boots again to make his way back to the pool.

He found two chest below the water, one containing bombs, the other a red twenty rupee, before heading along the path that led to the city proper using the iron boots.

He killed two mutant plants along the path, then used the clawshot to strike the deep blue crystal above the door to open the gate, going inside.

Part of the large room had no floor, and it made Link nauseous and dizzy to see the sky below.

He grabbed one of two Oocca, using it to jump across the gap while determinedly not looking down, killing a Shellie on the other side like the ones from the water temple, using the clawshot to hook onto some vines on a higher up column of stone on a platform, using it to grab the Oocca on the wall there to get across the next gap and to a door, escaping the Shellies to reach it quickly.

The next room contained a much larger Shellie, and he had to keep stunning the thing while circling around it to strike it's venerable backside three times before it died finally, wondering if it was possible to use the backslice on them.

Link turned east from there, pulling himself up to a broken window using the clawshot, finding a yellow rupee in a pot before going through the window.

Link found himself outside again, climbing down the vines there to a long stone platform, noticing the gears in the floor beneath his booted feet, using the spinner from the desert temple to send out a bridge across the expanse to the next part of the city.

He crossed to the platform where it was by using the clawshot to latch onto some vines across the gap between them, using the iron boots to cross the stone bridge, killing the two large birds that attacked him before reaching the door on the other side and going through it.

He found two blue rupees in that room, as well as a chest containing a small key before leaving, crossing back over the bridge again with the boots, killing two more birds when they attacked him, spinning around quickly when he heard the roar of the dragon, seeing the creature fly in from whatever hiding place in the floating city that it favored, watching as it destroyed the bridge that he'd just been standing on before flying away again.

He retraced his path once it was out of sight, slipping back in through the broken window.

Then he ran across the falling blue blocks quickly to enter the west door, finding himself outside again, turning to his right, killing a bird and two mutant plants when they attacked before finding more gears in the floor, using the spinner to send out another bridge across the next gap, backtracking to cross it using the iron boots, killing another bird before using his small key to go inside.

Link killed a pair of the smaller Shellies when they attacked him, using the iron boots and clawshot to bypass the strongly blowing winds, going through the door into the next room to find a chest containing the dungeon map as well as a yellow and blue rupee in pots before going back to the previous room, backtracking with the iron boots and clawshot to find a red-crystal switch near the entrance to the room, using the clawshot to hit it, shutting off the power to a third fan in the room so that he could cross over more falling blue blocks to get to the next door.

That room was full of dangerous wind cyclones, bats, and the sneaky worm things that liked to hide beneath loose tiles from the forest temple, so it took him a while to traverse it safely, using the gale boomerang to blow the annoying, but deadly worms away.

When he entered the next room, bars came down over the door behind him, blocking his escape.

He took out the two mutant armored lizards in that room by slamming their shields with his own to unbalance them, using the helm-splitter on one, the other unluckily falling off the edge of the platform, using the clawshot to grapple up to vines where a gate had opened, finding three yellow rupees before using the clawshot to grab the golden switch above his head, activating a fan in the room below.

He grabbed one of the nearby Oocca, using it to fly into the wind and get a boost up to the next door, going through it to locate yet more fans to use, finding a purple rupee in a chest as well as another golden switch, activating it with the clawshot and starting another fan that led him into a room containing the next door.

The next room was a tower like structure, and full of wind gusts and enemies, so it took him quite a while to reach the bottom using various Oocca as well as the clawshot in some places.

Bars slid down behind him when he entered the door at the bottom, so he knew it was a sign that there was a monster ahead, using the clawshot and the iron boots on a golden switch that shut off the rotating fan in the middle of the room, lowering himself down between the blades carefully and into the room below.

The moment his booted feet touched the ground, a large flying lizard carrying a sword and shield appeared, growling and hissing at him threateningly as it hovered above him in the air, trying to swoop down on him and catch him unaware.

But Link used all his armor against him, shooting an arrow at him twice so that he would raise his shield, then using the clawshot to latch onto the shield and drag him down to his level, striking him several times each round while he was reeling and stunned.

Then the beast went crazy with rage, using his flight and the holes broken through the rooms bricks to his advantage to try and sneak up behind Link, but Link merely used his Goddess-fast reflexes and the same technique as before, minus the arrows, to bring the creature low before his sacred blade.

The beast howled in pain and anger, and staggered, falling at his feet as he put away his sword with a flourish, using the clawshot to reach the area behind the gate that had opened above him, finding a chest containing another clawshot, using them to get up and out of the chamber with grappling points and vines in between two of the fan blades.

Link went back to the previous room, using the double clawshots to grapple himself up until he reached a golden switch, activating it to open a gate, using the clawshots to get through to the door just before the gate shut behind him.

Link had to use the double clawshots to grapple across pillars, since this room had no floor, shaking slightly when he reached the other side, breathing in and out slowly until the fear had calmed and then subsided, finding the compass in a nearby blue and silver chest before leaving the room to go outside again, using the clawshots on the underside of the bridge above him, knocking the mutant plants hanging there out of his way with them before latching onto vines near the other side of the bridge, climbing up them and heading back to the central chamber of the City in the Sky.

From there he used the clawshots to grapple across to the door that was opposite the one that he'd come from, going through it and back outside, using the flying plants above to clawshot his way across the gap, killing a bird when it came after him and heading into the room from before where he'd found the small key.

He used the clawshots to descend below to the room's hidden underbelly, traversing his way through a series of rooms with little or no floor, mostly by way of the clawshot, eventually finding a deep blue crystal switch that let him through yet another gate, from there making his way upward to reach the next door, finding a red rupee in a small gold chest nearby before going through it.

There was a giant plant in the middle of the next room, like the one in the forest temple, whacking it with his blade until it shriveled up, tossing a bomb inside to kill it completely as well as killing two other smaller plants before using the clawshots to get higher in the large room, crossing over a very…extremely narrow stone bridge that made Link feel nervous and uncomfortable, killing a mutant plant on the other side of it.

Then Link had to cross over another expanse where he had to hang over the gulf with only his hands, his heart racing the entire way across it, his body definitely shaking with fear when he finally reached the other side and killed a pair of bats, wiping his sweat-slick hands on his tunic before drawing in a deep breath and continuing forward, killing a mutant plant and opening a blue and silver chest to find a piece of heart.

He backtracked reluctantly, going back over the gulf before using his clawshot to get to an ivy-covered pillar, from there using the clawshots to reach a narrow platform in the middle of the room using a spot high up on the ceiling, lowering himself down to face another armored lizard, earning a purple fifty rupee for dispatching it before going through the door at the narrow west end of the platform.

He found himself outside again, using more of the flying plants to traverse the obstacles between him and the next door, going through it, using yet more plants to get across to the next door, finding a small island in the general vicinity that harbored a ghost and a chest, only accessible by flying plant.

He killed two armored lizards in the outdoor circular chamber, using the clawshots to reach a patch of ivy to the left of the door he'd come in through, Midna shifting him to his wolf form so that he could cross over all the ropes there that led from platform to platform, ignoring the birds so that he wouldn't fall, reaching a door and going through it after searching the entire area around the building to locate a purple fifty rupee and a ghost, as well as a red twenty rupee.

There were two giant Shellies in the room, and the black chest with the red jewel on its lid containing the big key.

Link latched onto the golden switch that he found with the clawshot, using the iron boots weight to activate it and shut off the fan in the room below, heading out and down to go into it.

He took out the two small Shellies in that room, collecting the various rupees before using the clawshot to latch onto the ceiling above, lowering himself down until he could see another golden switch, latching onto it and using the boots, turning on the large fan above the door at the far side of the room from the entrance, lowering himself down and going through the door.

Link used the large dull fan-blades he'd activated to reach the other side, finding a purple fifty rupee in a chest before dropping down to the door and going through it.

He fought and killed two of the winged lizards in that room before solving a puzzle in order to reach the top of the tall, cylindrical tower-like room and the door there using the clawshots, fan blades and deep blue crystal switches.

He fit the big key into the lock, opening it before tossing the key back into his pouch, stepping through the door, surprised to find himself outside once more.

Link looked up and to the left, smirking slightly when he realized he had to use the clawshot to reach the roof, pulling himself up the vines and onto a grassy field above, seeing the dragon fly down to challenge him.

Link quickly used the clawshots to ascend up the pillars on the four sides of the field, thinking fast, improvising a plan in his mind, latching onto the tip of the dragons tail and using the iron boots to drag him down and slam his huge body into the ground to break his jet-black armor.

He did this twice before a venerable spot was revealed on the dragon's back, the creature roaring in rage as it threw off the rest of it's armor, the sky darkening ominously as it began to rain, flying plants rising up from the ground.

Link climbed with the clawshots up the pillars until he could reach these, using them to circle around and around the dragon, **(Use the L button if you have the Gamecube like me, as well as whatever button you have the clawshots set on)**, avoiding the flames, though he did get mildly singed several times, the Goddess Power within him protecting him from most of the strength of the dragon's assault, using the clawshots to pull himself onto the dragon's back when possible, slashing at the exposed pink jewel with his sword repeatedly.

The dragon screamed in agony, blowing fire still as it tried to fly away, then fell toward the ground, exploding in midair and dying, the last mirror shard reforming from his ashes and floating down into Link's hands as Midna rose up out of his shadow to speak praisingly.

"Link, you did it! It's the fourth shard!-" she took it from him with her hair before continuing triumphantly. "-Now we have them all! Hey…Link. The words of the Sages… Do you remember them? Only the _true ruler_ of the Twili can _destroy_ the _Mirror of Twilight_. Zant could only break the _Mirror of Twilight_ into _shards_… He couldn't utterly shatter it. That's proof of his false Kingship.-" She floated away from him and opened the portal before continuing. "-Link, we have to hurry! To the Mirror Chamber! After all, a fake is a fake…and no matter how much you dress it up, the real thing always wins!"

Link nodded to her with a smile, moving to scoop up the heart container, then Midna took them both away through the portals to the large stone cannon that stood at the place where they had entered the City in the Sky.

Ooccoo and Junior left them then, and he bid them farewell with a smile, asking them to come visit sometime now that both cannons were operational, promising to keep his in good repair, waving to them as he climbed up into the cannon to head for home.

* * *

><p>Link landed in the water of Lake Hylia below, swimming quickly to the small island just ahead, a pleased smile brightening his face and blue eyes when he saw that Ralis was waiting there for him with several of his Zora guard standing behind him.<p>

Link ran to him, but that was as far as his remaining energy took him, falling into his Prince's outstretched arms and into exhausted unconsciousness.


	19. Chapter 19 The Twilight Temple

**Thank You for your reviews!:**

**SoulPieces, darkyami1214, guest, TheMysticalQ, link-lover82  
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**Author's Note:**

**I'm sorry about the wait, but I can only use the cube at certain times, because of my niece and nephew coming over when we watch them, so.. Sorry. But, good news! Ralis is in this chapter! And, it's a love scene! Yay! :) **

**Also, there's only going to be one more official chapter after this, though it will be super long because of that fact. :)**

**After that, I don't know when I'll start the sequel, as I have to finish my other two active fics first, too, so.. But, there _will _be a sequel, I promise! I already have ideas! :)**

**But, in the meanwhile, Enjoy this chapter! :)**

**~Sweet-Hearted SilverEars~**

**Chapter 19 Lovers Reunited or The Twilight Temple or Zant's Pain**

Link shivered at the feel of cool, soothing webbed fingers on his left cheek, his blue eyes opening slowly to stare into the Beloved face above his own, his lips curving into an instinctive smile in response to the one on Ralis's countenance, angling his head to the side to accept the chaste, but loving kiss that Ralis bestowed upon him, moving that same hand up to run it through Link's long blonde hair lovingly as he pulled back to look at him since he had removed his hat for him while he slept.

"_Mmm_.. _Ral_, _love you_," Link hummed softly, reaching up to twine his arms around Ralis's slender waist gently where he rested atop him.

"I love you, too, Link."

"Yeah. Yes, um.. What happened?" Link asked him, looking slightly confused now.

"You passed out in my arms, Love. It seems to be becoming a habit of yours."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. I don't want your apologies for this, Link, I want you to be more careful. To take care of yourself. I don't want to lose you. I wouldn't survive it. You've been lucky so far, but it can't last forever."

Link blinked, looking surprised at his Mate's words, nodding seriously as he slid the palms of his hands up over Ralis's back, his thumbs brushing his lover's sensitive sides and causing him to shiver, up to his neck, then up to hold Ralis's face in his hands, leaning up to kiss him lingeringly on the lips as his thumbs caressed the underside of his jaw-line tenderly while he pulled back to look into his gorgeous sea green eyes steadily.

"You're right, my Heart. I promise, I swear to you, that if I encounter something that I know without any doubt that I cannot handle, I will shield myself with the Goddess Power immediately."

"You had better," Ralis chastised him, but his eyes had darkened to turquoise with lust in response to Link's caresses, softening with the rush of emotion that filled his heart as he pulled back to sit up, reaching out for the glass of water that was sitting on the bedside table.

"Here, drink this," Ralis said with a smile. "Then I have a small bowl of reekfish soup here for you. Cool, though, not warm, since I wasn't sure when you would wake."

"Thank you," Link said softly, reaching out to take the glass of water, drinking it slowly, pacing himself so as not to upset his stomach.

Then he waited a few minutes before reaching for the soup, eating it slowly under Ralis's watchful eyes with the small spoon that his Mate had provided for him.

"I'm going to have food prepared for you, things that will be easy for you to take with you. You never eat enough when you're not here. You need to keep up your strength, Link. For me. For all of us."

"I know, my Sweet Prince," he said softly, setting the bowl of soup aside now that it was gone. "But come, kiss me. I want you inside me, my Love."

A soft gasp escaped Ralis at his Mate's words, his cheeks flushing as Link reached out to pull him into his arms and close against his body, his lips parting as Ralis leaned in to kiss him obediently with a slight smile, a soft moan escaping him as Link's tongue slid into his mouth to taste him, wet and warm as Ralis shivered, trembling atop him as their tongues entwined.

Link groaned into Ralis's mouth, lapping at his tongue hungrily, shaking now as Ralis started to tug at his clothes with a soft, needy whimper, still kissing him as he sat up to allow him to lift up the bottom of his forest green tunic, pulling it off over his head and tossing it aside, divesting him of his cream colored undershirt and tights next, kissing Link again almost desperately where he sat across from him, his right, small webbed hand sliding down between their bodies to touch him intimately, his fingers sliding through the soft, fine blonde hairs between Link's thighs, smiling when the older man moaned and spread his legs wider for him without hesitation, his thighs quivering when he felt them go lower, circling his opening with a tenderness that made Link's blue eyes darken and his heart pound with desire.

"_Ra-Ralis_," Link panted, kissing him with gentle, pecking kisses as he shuddered and groaned, feeling his lover's oil-wet fingers stroking and caressing his hole, slipping inside gently to stretch him open carefully. "_Ral_! _Oh Goddesses_, _don't stop_! _Please don't stop_!"

"Never, my Love," Ralis promised him, twisting his fingers and causing Link to cry out with pleasure against his mouth in reaction.

"_Please_, _I'm fine_, _Ral_!" Link pleaded with him breathlessly. "_I need you inside me now_!"

Ralis nodded, withdrawing his fingers before placing his hands around Link's waist, sliding them up the bare, silken skin of his back, coaxing Link to lie down and place his legs about Ralis's hips, lining himself up with the entrance to his body as his slick cock emerged from beneath his scales, kissing Link deeply as he pushed forward inside him slowly, not wanting to hurt him.

There was some resistance to his entrance, which was understandable, a soft hiss escaping his Mate at the penetration, but then Link softened beneath him, accepting his presence within him with a soft sigh, whispering his name as their bodies joined once more.

"_Ral_.. _I love you_. _I love you so much_, _Ralis_!"

The Zora prince gasped when Link pulled him into a hard kiss suddenly, melting against him with a helpless moan of delight as they started to move together, panting softly against Link's mouth as their tongues caressed and entwined with each other intricately.

"_I love you_, _t-to_, _Link_! _I always will_!"

Both of them found release then, lying in a sweaty heap atop the bedsheets as they panted with exertion, their naked bodies quivering against each other as they recovered slowly, just holding each other close.

Link shuddered as Ralis slipped out of him then, his scales sliding back into place to conceal his cock from view once more, Link rolling them over so that he was on top of Ralis now, his blue eyes burning with desire, pleasure and love, leaning closer to lick his lover's bottom lip, causing the Zora male to tremble beneath him in helpless response, twining his arms around Link's neck as the older man spoke softly.

"May I come inside you, my prince?"

"Yes, my love. Please do."

Link smiled, nodding as he reached for the oil, coating his fingers thoroughly before sliding them down between Ralis's thighs, pressing them to his lover's opening gently when his scales drew back to allow Link access, using one finger, then two, then three, preparing him tenderly, his blue eyes soft as he watched his prince's face.

"_L-Link_!" Ralis begged him, his breath escaping him in heavy pants now as his hands clung to Link's bare shoulders, his fingers digging into them hard enough that Link knew that there would be bruises there tomorrow. "_Pl-Please_, _Link_! _I'm re-ready_!"

Link nodded, his lips curving with an amused smile, obviously pleased that he knew Ralis's body so well now that all it took was a skilled fingering to drive him wild for him, withdrawing his fingers and pushing his legs up and back, moving to enter him now, careful to go slowly, surprised when Ralis took him in easily, pleading for more, starting to move hard and fast now, causing Ralis to cry out his name again and throw his head back among the pillows with wide sea green eyes, Link's thrusts moving the bed with their force, causing the blue-coral headboard to bang into the wall repeatedly.

Both of them were sweat-soaked and panting, the muscles of their naked bodies quivering with the strain of exhaustion now, Ralis releasing first, sweeping Link off along with him quickly on the wave of love that flooded their hearts, stilling as they held each other close, trembling as they panted together, whispering softly to each other between tender, lingering kisses.

"I love you, Link.. Always."

"I love you, too, Ralis.. Forever."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Link reluctantly left Zora's Domain, and Ralis, behind him once more, bidding his Beloved Mate farewell, kissing his sweet, trembling mouth tenderly for long minutes before jerking himself away from their kiss abruptly, harshly, feeling pain slice through his own chest at the transparent agony in the soft sea green pools of his lover.<p>

If felt as though every time he had to leave Ralis, it just got harder and harder to bear.

He lifted his right hand to touch the Zora boy's left cheek, leaning in to press his lips to the opposite one gently, whispering in his ear, "When I next return, I promise you that I shall never leave your side again, my Sweet Prince. I love you, Ralis."

"I love you, too, Link."

* * *

><p>Midna came up out of his shadow once the Zoras were out of sight, taking them both away through the portals to the mirror chamber in the desert, shifting him back to human so that he could walk up the steps just ahead, floating along at his side as he did so.<p>

Midna pulled out the other three pieces of the mirror that they had collected, placing the shards together with the fourth in the broken frame and reforming the mirror, causing it to glow with a pure, white light as she repaired it, freeing the jet-black slab of rock from the chains behind it so that it fell to rest in the sand with a heavy thud, opening the portal between Link's world and hers.

"Some call our realm a _world of shadows_, but that makes it sound unpleasant…-" Midna told him softly as she looked at the mirror. "-The twilight there holds a serene beauty… You have seen it yourself as the sun sets on this world. Bathed in that light, all my people were pure and gentle… But things changed once that _foul power_ pervaded the world…"

The five remaining Sages appeared behind them suddenly, their spirit-like bodies glowing similarly to how the mirror was as they spoke.

"It was all our doing… We overestimated our abilities as Sages and attempted to put an end to Ganondorf's evil magic… I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive our carelessness…-" The Sages bowed to Midna respectfully before stating quietly, "-O Twilight Princess."

Midna blinked, looking down awkwardly at the ground as she spoke softly in reply.

"What? So…you knew?-" Link's world went dark then, images flooding his mind from Midna's as she continued to speak. "-As a ruler who fled her people, I'm hardly qualified to forgive you.-" He gasped as he saw Zant advance on her, striking her with his power and transforming her against her will into the shape that she now bore, watched the shock cross her face as she looked down at her small, shrunken hands, watched her stagger painfully along on her new feet, hatred and rage transforming her small face as she donned a disguise, the very mask that covered part of her face now.

Then the images ended abruptly, as though she suppressed them when she realized that they were getting to him through their mind-link.

"-In our world,-" she continued quietly. "-We've long believed that the Hero would appear as a _divine beast_.-"

Then the image of Link being held in the clutches of a twilight monster appeared in his mind, and he saw that Midna had been watching, had seen him transform to the wolf and watched as the monster had drug his unconscious body away with a scary look on her small face before the memory was cut off again sharply.

"-That's why when I found you, I thought I could use you, Link. And I only cared about returning our world to normal… I didn't care what happened to the world of light, not at all.-"

Midna hovered in the air in front of him now, and Link looked up so that their eyes met, blue and bright shades of burning flames as she continued to speak softly to him.

"-But after witnessing the selfless lengths that Princess Zelda and you have gone to… Your sacrifices… I now know, in the bottom of my heart, that I must save this world, too. There is no other way.-"

She smiled down at Link before turning her burning eye to the Sages now.

"-If we can just defeat Zant, the curse on me will dissolve, and we may be able to revive Zelda.-"

She turned back to Link then, floating closer to him to finish fiercely.

"-Let's go, Link! For Ralis! For Zelda! For Telma, Renado and Shad! For Colin and the other children, Agitha and Phillepe, Peter, Gor Coron and Darbus! For Rosie and Tom, and the other monkeys! For Yeto and Yeta! For all of this world!"

He smiled widely, nodding.

"Of course, 'Dina. You care _now_. That's what matters, not before. Here and now. Here and now, we fight!"

Midna nodded back, slipping away into his shadow, and the Sages bowed to him before vanishing as well.

Link turned to look at the repaired mirror now, stepping closer to it, walking up the glowing steps that appeared when he did so, Midna taking them through the portal into her world.

* * *

><p>Midna's world <em>was<em> dark, but beautiful as well.

The buildings were jet-black, with dark pink symbols scrawled over their surfaces.

And the clouds that floated through the sky were all tinged with varying shades of pink, some clouds white, others dark as he looked around them.

"Um, listen, Link…-" Midna requested with a look of shame on her small face. "-Can I ask one last selfish favor? Regardless of what my reasons may have been, I once abandoned this world… I left behind the Twili, my people. Those who had followed me… Who considered me their ruler… Even now, as they remain here, suffering, they believe that help will come for this world… But if they were to see that the only help for them was a hideous little imp… Don't you think they'd feel let down? It's only for a little bit longer… Do you mind if I continue to hide as your shadow while you're in your human form? I'm sorry…"

"Well, no, but.. still, don't say those things, 'Dina. You have nothing to be sorry for. Looks don't make a Hero, Fate does. We just have to work together, work as hard as we can with what we've been given. We'll get through this. We have to."

She nodded, a slightly hesitant smile curving her lips before she slipped back into his shadow.

Link walked down the hill that he stood on then, approaching what looked to be a public square of some kind, though it was circular in shape, seeing four twilight beings standing there.

He knew they weren't like the monsters that they had previously fought in his world, because their energy felt different. Purer, somehow.

He started to approach the closest one, surprised when Midna popped up out of his shadow quickly to stop him.

"Wait! This guy isn't an enemy, Link. They might look different, but… They're inhabitants of this world… They're my people. Zant… How could he…"

"I know that, Midna. I wasn't going to hurt them. I can feel their good energy. I wanted only to speak to him."

"Oh. Um, sorry. He won't be able to understand you, though, Link. None of them were taught to speak or understand Hylian dialects. There didn't seem to be any reason for it, you see, isolated as we are here."

"Of course. Where should we go, then?"

"Let's search the outer buildings, first. The smaller ones on either side of the main palace."

"Good plan, 'Dina. Let's go."

Link went down the stone ramp and to the building on his left first, Midna slipping back into his shadow as he did so, passing a twilight being on his left before going through the door.

He walked forward into the room with sword drawn, fighting bats, as well as mutant plants made out of twilight-energy, jumping back quickly when he was suddenly ambushed by a giant phantom in the shape of Zant's helmet.

He hit the image with his sword, while dodging it's purple projectiles, destroying it and causing a blue and silver chest to appear, opening it to find a small key before using the clawshot to get up onto the ledge above, using the key to unlock the door there and go through it.

The next room contained strange clouds of black and gold floating twilight dust, so he had Midna shift him to his wolf form, using his senses to defeat another image of Zant's helmet and opening the chests that appeared after turning back to find the compass, and a small key, Midna warning him about the twilight clouds before they continued on to the next room after he fought a small group of twilight monsters.

"Link, be careful… This black fog is made up of shadow crystals created by Zant. They blot out light… He's responsible for stealing the light from the spirits and turning your world into twilight… But he's not all-powerful. We're prepared too. I can return you to your normal state whenever you need me, so don't worry, okay?"

Link nodded again, using the clawshot to reach the level of the next door and go through it using the key.

Bars covered the door behind him when he entered, and he walked forward and jumped down into the main room to face a much more magically-advanced version of Zant, fighting off the various monsters that he called down on Link, eventually defeating him, watching him explode into shadow crystals before going to the far side of the room to see a stone hand, it's thick fingers curled around a glowing ball.

"That shining sphere illuminates this world. It's called a Sol,-" Midna told him, sliding up out of his shadow. "-It's like the sun of your world, Link. The power of the Sol is the source of life in this world… It is pure power. Ah! As long as you have this… Would you take this Sol to the Twili at the entrance to this world? Please, Link!"

Link nodded with a brief smile, snatching up the Sol after freeing it from the hand using the clawshot, somehow managing to get the thing out of the building despite the various obstacles, and the fact that the stone hand came to life and chased him the entire way, coming through the doors by magic when necessary.

He carried the Sol outside, seeing the man that he had passed before change back to himself from the presence of the Sol, taking it back up to the main square as he gasped when Link passed by him, setting it down in the indentation there, which made it glow, activating a way for them to get across to the next building.

"Link…-" Midna spoke to him quietly. "-There should be one more Sol. If we can find that, it should lead us to Zant."

Link nodded, smiling, and she grinned too before sliding away again back into his shadow, moving to cross over to the other building on the shining square platform, determinedly not looking down at the gap, jumping down in relief when he reached the other side.

He passed another one of Midna's people before entering the second building, using the clawshot to reach another shining platform, jumping across several more to get to the other side and the door there, destroying another image of Zant's helmet, opening the chest that appeared as well as another to find a small key and a purple fifty rupee, using the key to get into the next room.

He fought three twilight monsters there, as well as bats, and five Zant helmets, using his clawshot to search the room by way of the red dots on the ceiling, finding a small key and the dungeon map before returning to the next door and going through with the key.

Bars covered the door behind him again when he went through, and he had to defeat another magical Zant illusion before he could claim the second Sol and get it back outside, setting it in it's rightful place beside the first one.

He stood between them, surprised, his blue eyes going wide when they vanished, their light filling his sword so that it glowed as though it were alive. Midna's visible eye was just as wide when she popped up to speak to him.

"Amazing… The power of the Sols has been transferred to your sword… The guardian deities of my world are on our side, too! You really are the chosen one, Link… A true hero! As long as you have the sword, you should be able to repel the shadows Zant has spread!"

"Yes, I.. I know."

She smiled at him sympathetically, clearly sensing his thoughts on the matter, and they headed for the largest building that was between the smaller two, climbing up the long, steep ramp to reach it.

He passed a twilight being, then went up a second, shorter ramp, finding a curtain of darkness at the top, dispatching three twilight birds before slashing through the darkness with his shining blade, jumping across the gap before the curtain descended again, killing two more twilight birds before going through the door just ahead.

Link walked down a set of stairs, killing bats and small twilight creatures when they ran out of the darkness ahead and attacked him, dispelling the shadow crystals with his sword so that he could get to the two Sols on the other side, killing a mutant twilight plant before transferring the Sols from their pedestrials into the indentations in the middle of the floor, dispersing the twilight cloud fully, though he had to fight more of the small twilight monsters when he did so.

The floor lit up then, rising up to form a staircase, which he climbed quickly, killing a bat when it attacked him before using his blade to float across to the other side of the room by activating a dormant Sol to form a glowing platform, killing a mutant twilight plant and numerous Zant-helmets to collect a small key, activating the three Sols on that side to go even higher now, killing several bats on that side before unlocking the door with the key and going through to find himself outside again, walking out onto the large outdoor balcony.

He killed a twilight monster there, followed by many twilight birds, activating the two Sols there to ride across to another platform, killing another bird there and a Zant helmet before riding back, facing six more Zant helmets and another bird there to gain a small key, cutting through the curtain of twilight nearby to find yet more birds.

He killed them using his clawshots to reach the top of the narrow room, finding the black chest with the red jewel on it's lid containing the key to the boss's chambers, stowing it away in his endless pouch before returning back through the curtain of darkness and using the small key to unlock the next door, tossing it back into his endless pouch before going through it.

He walked forward, the familiar red barriers surrounding him as he encountered four twilight monsters, killing them all at once with one swing before using his sword to locate and activate the Sol in the nearby cloud of shadow crystals, floating up onto the shining platform to reach several others, taking the one in front of him, not to the left or right of his platform, floating across to two more and jumping to the one on his right, rising up to a stone platform containing a mutant twilight plant, killing it before jumping to the next shining platform.

This one took him across the room, to his right, and then back a ways, dropping him down on a stone platform containing a fairy in a pot, which he promptly captured in his only empty bottle, using the shining platform nearby to get back to the one that had dropped him there, this time using his clawshots to land there and face the Zant helmet, then aiming higher with the clawshots to reach the next platform and helmet, killing it to collect another small key, jumping onto the nearby shining platform to reach a stone stair way that led to a locked door, deciding to stop for a while here to rest and eat some of the food that Ralis had packed for him in his pouch thoughtfully.

He sat down at the top of the stairs, leaning against the stone pillar on the left side and pulling out a couple sandwiches, reflecting with a slight smile and soft blue eyes that it was a good thing that he liked fish.

Then he drank some cool water from Zora's Domain, soothing his parched throat before pulling a thick, fuzzy blanket from his endless pouch, inhaling the smell of salt and Ralis that lingered on the fabric greedily as he curled up there beneath it's comforting warmth and slept.

* * *

><p>He woke what he guessed to be several hours later, feeling refreshed, though a little stiff from sleeping on the hard stone floor, sniffing at the blanket briefly before tucking it away again with a smile and a soft sigh, drinking some more water and eating another reek-sandwich before putting the water bottle away too and pulling out his small key to unlock the door ahead, tossing the key back into his pouch before going through it.<p>

In the next room he faced no less then _fifteen_ twilight monsters, collecting what supplies he could from the pots in the room, as well as a fairy from the pot to the right of the door, letting it heal him before pulling out the big key and unlocking it, tossing it back into his pouch before going inside to finally face Zant.

He went up the stairs ahead with sword drawn and held upright cautiously, Midna floating at his side, seeing the man sitting on the throne that was rightfully hers.

"Zant,-" Midna said with an evil-looking smile, her face going black then as she stared at him coldly with her one visible eye. "-Isn't this ironic" Here we are, all thanks to the dark magic curse you placed on Link!"

She smiled again, revealing her left fang slightly as she looked at him steadily and without blinking.

The bastard had the nerve to smile where his helmet revealed the lower-half of his face, speaking as he stood up from the elaborate stone throne, Link using the Goddess Power to look into his heart as he spoke, half his mind focused on that, the other half on what the man was saying.

"You speak of magic? Still your tongue for a moment, whelp, and I will tell you of both magic and the oppression of ages…-"

Zant stepped forward closer to them, his helmet retracting to reveal his face now as he continued to speak.

"-The people of our tribe…a tribe that mastered the arts of magic… were locked away in this world like insects in a cage.-"

Zant held out his arms on either side of his body and looked up at the ceiling.

"-In the shadows we regressed, so much so that we soon knew neither anger nor hatred…nor even the faintest bloom of desire. And all of it was the fault of a useless, _do-nothing royal family_ that had resigned itself to this miserable _half-existence_!-" Zant yelled, contorting his slender body unnaturally and stamping his feet, jumping up and down like an angry child, breathing hard now, and Link thought that perhaps he heard the sound of illness in the other man's lungs as he continued quieter now, still searching Zant's mind as he struggled to penetrate his chaotic mind to understand his motivation for his actions.

"-I had served and endured in that depraved household for far too long, my impudent princess,-" Zant leapt down from in front of the throne then suddenly, getting right up in their faces as he spoke, causing Link to flinch and raise his blade instinctively, losing his concentration on the other man's mind as he spun around Midna and him until he reached the door that they had come through, effectively blocking their way out.

"-And why, you ask?-" he yelled angrily. "-Because I believed that I would be the next to rule our people! THAT is why! But would they acknowledge me as their king?-" he asked rhetorically as he bent over backwards now.

"-No! And as such, I was denied the _magic powers befitting our ruler_. It was then, in the thrall of hatred and despair, that I turned my eyes to the heavens…and found a god."

Their vision went dark, as Zant didn't know that he and Midna shared a mind-link, showing them his memories.

The man fell to his knees in the vision, sobbing and beating his hands against the stones of the outer courtyard of the palace of twilight, the very same courtyard that Link had passed through earlier, banging his forehead against them like a petulant child that had been denied a treat or toy.

Then a shining, golden cloud in the shape of a face appeared above him, consuming Zant's body within itself as it spoke to him.

"I shall house my power in you… If there is anything you desire, then I shall desire it, too."

Zant was left standing on the balcony alone, looking up at the sky in wonder.

Then they were suddenly back in the throne room again, Zant straightening again and transporting himself back to the throne before speaking harshly. "My _god_ had only one wish… To merge shadow and light… and make darkness!"

Zant used his magic to create the illusion that they were in the boss chamber of the forest temple, attacking Link with an eager smile.

He used the boomerang to pull him closer from where he hovered out over the pool of purple acid, avoiding or blocking the power Zant threw at him as he did so.

Then Zant took them to the fire temple with his illusions, to the room halfway to the boss's chamber, Link using the same technique there that he had on the large goron while blocking Zant's power and attacking him when he was tired from all the jumping around.

Next was the water temple, so he quickly put on the Zora armor and iron boots, using his clawshots to drag Zant close from his hiding places in the large helmets while avoiding his attacks.

Then it was the forest temple again, though in the room where he had cured Tom the baboon, so he used the same technique that he had there before.

Next it was ice, the Yeti's mansion, so he used the ball and chain to great effect, chipping the man down to size easily and attacking him while he was small.

Now they fought in a the field outside Castle Town, golden barriers surrounding them to keep him within, Link avoiding Zant's crazy and reckless knife attacks, spinning around him and attacking him from behind while he did so.

Then Zant tried insanely-quick spin attacks, which Link dodged with his Goddess-fast reflexes, the effort seeming to make the other man exhausted, getting him while he was still because he couldn't breath, hunched over and panting in pain, feeling bad that he was taking advantage of his weaknesses in their battle.

When Link started to get tired, he pulled out a bottle quickly, freeing the fairy within, the small pink, winged creature healing his wound before he kept fighting.

Then it was over, Zant staggering, falling to his knees as he screamed in rage, appearing back on the throne in the palace of twilight with his head bowed, Midna reclaiming the Fused Shadows from him now with her power.

"Y-You…TRAITORS!-" he wheezed loudly.

"Traitors, ha!-" Midna snapped out angrily. "-You want to know why none would call you king? It was your eyes, Zant. All saw it, a lust for power burning in your pupils… Did you think we'd forget our ancestors lost their king to such greed?"

"Midna…-" Zant spoke softly, raising his head to glare at her with his burning orange eyes. "-Foolish _Twilight Princess_… The _curse_ on you cannot be _broken_…-" Midna growled low at him before he continued to speak. "-It was placed on you by the magic of _my god_! The _power_ you held as _leader of the Twili_ will never return! Already he has descended and been _reborn_ in this world…-"

Midna and Link jerked at this news, instinctively huddling closer together, their faces grim now as Midna hissed out her displeasure.

"-As long as my Master, Ganon, survives, he will resurrect me without cease!"

Midna screamed out her rage, a type of temporary madness filling her eye, impaling Zant with her powers, causing him to twist on the throne, Link turning his face away as the man cried out in pain, his face contorted and agonized before his body exploded violently, Midna looking shocked as what she had done as she pressed her hands to her face, wide-eyed where she floated in the air beside Link, his blue eyes wet with unshed tears in response to the man's truly tortured existence.

"I… I used just a fraction of the power that's in me now… I did THAT using only a fraction of my ancestor's magic?!-"

The tears overflowed then, trailing down Link's cheeks slowly as she turned to face him, Link blinking as he sniffled softly and scrubbed at his cheeks with the palms of his hands.

But the tears wouldn't stop, and her face was sympathetic as she spoke to him quietly, her voice passionate for their cause.

"Link! Now is the time! We must save Zelda!-"

He nodded in agreement, just letting his tears flow now without attempting to stop them as she looked at her hands, obviously still in shock about what she'd done.

"-The _evil power_ Zant was wielding… I couldn't take it from him. But at least I still have the _magic_ of my ancestors… With it, I can return the _cherished power_ Zelda bestowed upon me…-"

Midna formed a portal now, turning back toward him and holding out her hand with a pleading expression, confusing Link with the look.

"-Now! Let's go! Princess Zelda is waiting!"

He nodded again wordlessly, moving to collect the heart container from in front of her throne before walking back down the steps to join her, his tears all dried up now, having no more to give as he scrubbed at the salt on his face with the back of his hand and stepped into the portal with her.

"I'll get you out of here, Link. You're sure there's nothing else you need to do, right?"

"Yes."

She nodded, taking them both back outside before speaking again softly.

"So Ganondorf was just using Zant to help him return to the world of light… I guess now we know the true nature of that barrier over Hyrule Castle… He's in Hyrule Castle, I'm sure of it… Princess Zelda is in grave danger! We must return to the world of light and hurry to the castle!"

Link nodded, walking up the hill and entering the portal back to his world, seeing that it was night in the desert now, sitting down on the steps beside the mirror to rest for a moment and have another meal, cool reekfish soup this time, and water, Midna moving to sit beside him with a sigh, watching him eat for a moment before asking him a question softly.

"…Link? Do you resent me for killing Zant?.."

He blinked at that query, turning to look at her with blue eyes wide with astonishment.

"Of course not. Why would you even think something so awful?"

"You were crying," she answered him simply, placing her delicate arms on her knees where her tiny legs were tucked beneath her chin as she looked over at him.

"No, I.. That's because.. It's just such a waste," Link explained softly, staring down at the steps they sat on together as he brushed a few strands of blonde hair back behind his pointed left ear absentmindedly.

"He was so beautiful.. If in a different way from the other peoples of Hyrule. And sick. Also corrupted by Ganondorf. I could feel his pain," he lifted a hand, pressing it palm down on his chest, over his heart, digging his fingers into the cloth of his tunic there like claws.

"His confusion, rage, loneliness.. It was awful. Like a hot branding iron on bare skin. Oh, there's no doubt at all that he was spoiled, probably by his mother, and perhaps a little arrogant, vain, jealous of your position and power, most certainly. And there was cruelty there, as well, but deep down, his soul was essentially good. What happened was probably for the best, though. I couldn't reach him with the Goddess Power, so I don't think that I would have been able to heal him.. At least he's not suffering anymore. That makes me feel a little bit better about it."

Midna's eye widened in shock at his statement, honest sorrow blanketing her small face.

"Oh.."

"So I want to kill Ganondorf for Zant now, too," Link stated firmly, his blue eyes burning with emotion as he spoke. "He deserves to rest in peace at least, if he can't live happily."

Link packed up and stood up on the top step there before the mirror, his blue eyes determined as the desert wind ruffled his blonde hair, looking into the distance toward where he knew Zora's Domain stood across the hot sands, thinking of his Beloved now.

"Let's go, Midna. It's time to finish this."

"Yes, Link," the Twilight Princess said quietly. "It really is."


	20. Chapter 20 Hyrule Castle

**Thank You for your reviews!:**

**oohgranolabars, darkyami1214, TheMysticalQ, Rogue Blade  
><strong>

**Author's Note: **

**Well, here we are. The last chapter. At least until the sequel, anyway. :)**

**It's insane how fast I completed this masterpiece. It feels almost like I only just started it. **

**I know that I never would have finished it this quickly without your reviews and support, so, thank you! Really, thank you! :)**

**I swear, for the most part, this thing wrote itself. **

**It was so easy to slip in my story lines in certain places, that it was almost like the writers and designers of the game were begging me to make this epic love story of two lovers who couldn't be more different, but also couldn't be more in love with each other. :)**

**Link and Ralis: You belong together, and you will always be so in my heart. Whenever I play the game from now on, I will think of you, of your story. It made me so happy to be able to tell it for you, the unwritten love of (the Hero and his Sweet Prince of the Water Dwellers.)**

**(Hmm… Maybe that should be the name of the sequel?.. What do you guys think?.. Any suggestions? Maybe not, though, since it's about more then just Link and Ralis. I intend to expand it quite a bit. **

**Well, I'll think on it, and you guys can send in ideas for a title, if you have any ideas, 'Kay? Thanks! :))**

**I hope you like it, and there will be one more update after this, but, it's only going to be what I have of my original idea that gave birth to this one. **

**It's not a bad story, very cute and loving, just a little bit shallow. Especially compared to this one. **

**I much prefer this story rather then that one, but, I just wanted you all to see it anyway, for curiosity's purposes. :)**

**I hope you at least think it's kind of cute, anyway. Enjoy! :)**

**P.S. Just so you know, there will be a male pregnancy in the sequel, so those of you that don't like that sort of thing, well, I hope that you won't let it turn you off of it, because it might not be as good as this story, but, I think that it's still going to be good.**

**Besides, Ralis is part fish. How do we know that he couldn't have a child?.. Am I right?.. :)**

**And, just so you know, It's going to be set five years after Link stops Ganondorf and saves Hyrule. So, Link will be twenty seven, and Ralis will be twenty two, which is how old Link is right now. :) **

**~Sweet-Hearted SilverEars~ **

**Chapter 20 Done With Ilia **or **Weighty Discussion** **With Barnes** or** Hyrule Castle**

Midna took Link through the portals to Kakariko village so that he could purchase supplies before storming Hyrule Castle to free Zelda, sliding back into his shadow after returning him to his human form, Link walking up the street to enter Malo's shop.

He had just purchased his necessary supplies and was placing them within his endless pouch when the door opened and Ilia walked in, her angry expression surprising him as she strode quickly across the room, his blue eyes going wide with shock when she lifted her right hand to slap his left cheek, striking him with enough force to actually turn his head to the side.

"Ilia, what-"

"You disgust me!" she snapped, and when she raised her hand to hit him a second time, he caught her by the wrist before she could make contact, ignoring her efforts to escape his hold as she spoke harshly to him. "I remember! I remember _everything_, Link. How could you?"

"How could I what?"

Ilia's face twisted as he continued to hold her wrist tightly so that she could not hit him again, and she lowered her voice, obviously thinking it necessary because of Malo's presence in the room.

"You know very well what I mean. How could you lie with another man?.."

"It's quite easy. I pull him into my arms. Kiss his lips. Worship his beauty with my hands and mouth, with more then that."

"It's sickening!" she hissed out with burning eyes. "It's unnatural!"

"Love is never unnatural, Ilia."

"You- You love him?.."

"Of course I do. I would never have married him if I didn't."

"_M-Marry_?" she gasped, her eyes going wide as she stared up at him, Link releasing her wrist now so that she could step back and put some distance between them. "_You married him_?"

"Yes, I did. I'm going to be with him forever, Ilia. I'm never going back to Ordon again."

"But- How could you do this to us?"

"There is no 'us'," Link said calmly. "I've told you this, many times. I'm tired of telling you. I love men. Even if I wasn't with Ralis, I would still love men, and I'd find another. I've had several offers. But, it's got to be Ralis for me, forever. If you still can't accept that.. I've tried to be understanding, because we were once close friends, but I think that we're done. I don't want to see you anymore, Ilia."

"Well, I.." she stammered, looking completely bewildered before her expression turned angry once more. "Well, I never!"

Ilia turned on her heel, flouncing out of the shop dramatically, and Link knew that she expected him to follow her and smooth things over between them like all the times before this.

Well, it wasn't going to happen.

Not this time.

Link was done.

He was done with Ilia.

He finished packing up the things that he'd just purchased, then left the shop with a nod and a smile to Malo, feeling relieved, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

A weight that had been there for far too long.

He walked past Ilia without a word to her, smiling widely with blue eyes bright with happiness as he walked to the spirit's spring where Epona stood nearby, moving out of sight before calling for Midna to take him away to Castle Town to confront Ganondorf, surprised when she slipped away quickly, understanding why when he heard hesitant footsteps as someone entered the cave near the spirit's spring behind him, turning around to look where he stood further back in the tunnel, grimacing when he saw that it was Barnes from the bomb shop, watching as the man approached him with obvious nerves.

"Link, I.. Can we talk? Please?"

"Of course. What is it, Barnes?" he asked, feigning calm as he spoke.

"I wanted to.. I wanted to apologize to you."

"_What_?" Link gasped in shock, his blue eyes widening slightly at the other man's words.

"I wanted to apologize to you, Link," Barnes repeated, his voice sounding a little firmer now, gaining confidence from Link's reaction to his statement. "I'm sorry. I know that the way that I've been acting toward you had made you uncomfortable, and I'm really sorry. I.. I just wanted to explain to you.. I'm not that kind of man, that would force my attentions on others. It's just that.. I'm so lonely, Link. And you're a good man, I know it. The kind of man that I've always wanted to spend my life with, to have by my side. I know that you don't feel the same way about me, you've made it more then obvious to everyone. But I just wanted to explain my actions. I know how I appear to others, but I.. Not everyone can be as strong as you are, Link. I do care, but I just.. I'm so afraid, of everything, but most of all of being alone forever."

"Barnes, I.." Link gasped, blinking at his explanation. "I appreciate your apology, and all the things that you said. I do understand all those feelings. I used to feel them myself. And I don't want you to give up.. But it can't be me, I'm sorry. Even if I did feel the things for you that you feel for me, it still couldn't ever be. I love Ralis, more then my own life, and I could never hurt him in that manner. He's all that I've ever wanted. It's why I married him, and why he married me."

"You married him?.." Barnes asked, his eyes widening at this information with clear surprise.

"Yes, of course I did. I love him. I can't say that enough, to him, or to others. I would have to be a fool not to have married him, and I'm definitely no fool."

"That's… I'm not really objecting, even with my feelings for you, but… Isn't he a little young? He looks like a boy."

"He was sixteen when I first laid eyes on him, in my dreams, and in life," Link replied with a smile, his blue eyes softening as he thought of Ralis. "A man among our people. More then old enough to know his own mind, and heart. He loves me, just as much as I love him. Now he's seventeen. I'm twenty two years old. It's the perfect age difference. He's old enough that I don't seem like a man who seduces and manipulates young boys, which is most certainly not any reputation that I want, and I'm young enough that no one could ever assume me old enough to be his father, which I don't want either."

"Yes, I.. I suppose that's true.. Well, I'll.. I'll just go on home now. And, again, I'm sorry. Goodbye, Link."

"Goodbye."

Barnes nodded with a quiet sigh, turning away from him with shoulders slumped with the weight of disappointment and loneliness.

Link sighed as well once he was out of sight, but then he and Midna were off to Castle Town by way of the Twilight portals.

* * *

><p>When Link started to cross the bridge that led into Castle Town, the mailman called out to him, running up to stand before him and speak.<p>

"Mr. Link! WAAAAAAIT! Greetings, Mr. Link! I have come to deliver a letter. There is a letter for you, Link. Two letters in fact!-" the man handed him the letters before continuing to speak. "-Well, my business is concluded! Onward to mail!"

Link watched the man run off before opening his letters.

The first was from someone named Purlo, who apparently ran some sort of gaming attraction in Castle Town, asking him to come and play.

The second was from Junior, Ooccoo's son.

'Wow, kid! Awesome!'

(My son said that he wanted to write you a letter… He worked so hard on it! Goodness, yes!)

'We thank you for all your help, both on land and in the sky. The other Oocca thank you, as well. Come visit us, anytime! Take care!'

Link smiled as he tucked the letters away into his endless pouch before continuing on into Castle Town and making his way to the gates that led to Hyrule Castle.

Midna floated ahead of him now as he passed through a tunnel, donning the Fused Shadows.

They seemed to be difficult for her to control at first, and he was worried as she was slammed repeatedly against the stone walls as she fought to handle all that power, the strength of the battle flinging her over the wall and out of his sight.

Then, she climbed back over the wall, her body now resembling something that somewhat looked like a twilight spider, jumping up onto the golden barrier that was barring their way forward, slipping a little at first before she climbed higher, forming a large golden spear with the power, driving it deep into the barrier to shatter it.

The effort exhausted her, floating down to Link, and he reached out to catch her unconscious form in his arms, uncertain what to do for her, smiling down at her in relief when she stirred in his arms after only a few moments, smiling back at him.

It started to rain heavily as Link slipped through the doors ahead that were slightly ajar, seeing the golden wolf waiting for him, waking up in the misty place and getting to his feet to see the Dark warrior standing across from him after the wolf howled and vanished.

"At last… the time is now,-" the warrior spoke, and Link was surprised to sense a soul-deep yearning emanating from him.

"-Soon, you will know the truth of your birth. But first, I must teach you. This is the seventh and final hidden skill that I can pass on to you. This forgotten skill is the ultimate secret technique, and it tests the true courage of the one who wields it. Do you wish to master this final hidden skill, which can be earned only by the one true hero?"

"I do," Link answered him with a polite nod, wondering about the other man's comment about his birth.

"Very well. Then before we begin… I will test you to ensure you have mastered the last skill I taught you, the jump strike. Now then, come at me!"

They took up their usual stances, and Link preformed the move effortlessly, bowing to the other man with a smile and bright blue eyes, his alabaster cheeks flushed with exhilaration.

"Excellent. It appears you are certainly capable of performing my lost art-," he said with a nod in response. "-Very well. My final hidden skill is… The great spin! Let it be hewn into your mind!-"

They took up their training positions once more as he continued to speak softly. "-You have at your disposal the basic sword technique known as the spin attack. You have mastered numerous hidden skills and now house the spirit of the true hero. You now have in you the ability to magnify the power of your spin attack. But the only time you can draw out that power is when your life energy is brimming full. Now, try unleashing this spin attack on me.-"

The warrior split into three, surrounding him, and Link preformed the spin attack, knocking the real warrior back from him so that the others vanished.

"-Impressive… I will repeat this once more. You can only perform this technique when your life energy is brimming full. Remember this. The final hidden skill, the great spin, has been passed on!-"

Link nodded, performing the move again before putting away his sword with a flourish.

"-You have at last mastered all the hidden skills-," the warrior continued quietly. "-Although I accepted life at the side of the hero, I could not convey the lessons of that life to those who came after. At last, my regrets have been eased by your life. You who have marched through countless foes and obstacles to your happiness, each mightier then the last… You, who now gaze to the future with vision unclouded… Who knows what, and who, it is that you desire, that you love. Surely you can restore Hyrule to it's stature of yore as the chosen land of the gods. …We will meet again soon! Go and do not falter, my child!"

"Your child?.. What- Wait!" Link gasped as the Dark warrior started to fade, the mist surrounding them now as it swirled up from the ground, obscuring his image as Link ran toward him quickly, only to find himself waking back on the wet cobblestones, pushing himself to his feet with a sigh of disappointment.

He walked forward once more, hoping that the warrior's words had been true, that they would meet again soon so that he could explain his words, pushing open the heavy wooden doors ahead of him to enter the courtyard of Hyrule Castle.

Link walked forward, heading to his right from a large statue in the middle of the courtyard, killing four giant birds and six goblins when a golden barrier surrounded him, moving on and going through the door ahead where he killed numerous goblins by using his bow and blade, taking the path to the right and finding a hidden space through a break in the stone wall that contained two large boars.

He mounted one, steering it by the reins out through the hole, breaking through the flimsy brown fencing across from it, turning the beast to his left and breaking through another patch of goblins 'till he located a third boar, leaving the creature beside it before entering a smaller courtyard containing six pillars.

He used the boomerang to uncover a Triforce symbol at the far side of the courtyard, surprised when Midna popped up out of his shadow to hover at his side and speak to him quietly.

"Aren't you curious what's on the other side of this wall, Link? There might be a way in. Want to check it out?"

Link nodded, trusting her instincts, studying the Triforce before using his boomerang to activate the right pillars according to the green line on the matching Triforce on the ground where it was etched into the stone of the courtyard, causing a gate to open directly in front of it.

The chest inside contained the map, and he tucked it away into his endless pouch before asking Midna to shift him to his wolf form so that he could dig beneath the wall that she'd pointed out earlier.

On the other side of the wall was a dark and gloomy graveyard filled with thin, wispy fog, and he walked forward on four paws, shaking off the water that the rain left on his fur with annoyance, though it was futile because of how hard it was raining here, killing two packs of tiny skeleton warriors when they attacked him, Midna shifting him back to his human form so that he could destroy one of the larger ones that had to be bombed to finish it off.

He moved deeper into the graveyard now, killing two more and bombing them, shifting back to his wolf form and using his senses to locate a group of ghostly soldiers, shifting back to his human form and bombing into the ground where they all pointed him to the middle of the circle that they formed, uncovering a metal switch that opened the wooden bars over an opening at the far side of the graveyard from where he had entered, finding various rupees inside in pots and chests.

Link lit the floor torch nearby with his lantern, moving to the next set of wooden bars and using his lantern to light the floor torches on either side so that they slid up and out of the way, only able to light them because the other torch temporarily halted the raindrops.

There were two owl statues inside, so Link led them back to the wall near where he had come in at, his wolf sensing the presence of more ghostly soldiers guiding him as he slid them into the square-shaped slots where they obviously belonged using the Dominion Rod, climbing up to a stone ledge above them so that he could jump across to the other side and go up a ramp, finding a chain in the small stone room that opened another set of wooden bars protecting a chest containing a small key.

"You've gotten everything you need out here-," Midna said, popping up out of his shadow to speak. "-Now get in the castle through the front door!"

Link nodded, returning to the main courtyard and taking the path to his left this time, killing more goblins and birds when another golden barrier surrounded him before going through the door ahead.

He walked forward into the rain, surprised when a third golden barrier surrounded him, a barred door opening to admit several large groups of goblins that he took out with his new attack that the Dark warrior had taught him before the barrier dissolved and he went through the opening where they had come from, finding another chain that opened the next set of bars, drawing his sword as he walked into a large, open courtyard of stone, not really surprised when another golden barrier surrounded him.

He was surprised, however, by his opponent, one of the larger goblins like the ones that had twice kidnapped Colin, dropping down out of the sky to announce, "I have come to play!"

The creature came at Link with his great ax, but Link didn't hesitate, dancing around him and striking him repeatedly with his blade until the large goblin threw his head back and bellowed in pain, a smile on his lips as he straightened, taking the small key from his belt and holding it out now as he said loudly, "Enough!-"

He handed the key to Link, who reached out and took it cautiously, his frown slightly confused and suspicious, watching as the large goblin retrieved his monsterous boar and mounted it, pausing to speak to Link straightforwardly as he looked down at him.

"-I follow the strongest side! …That is all I have ever known. If you ever have need of my aid, Link, Hero of the Three of High, I shall be there. My men have told me of your deeds of bravery against the man of shadows. I follow you now."

Then he spurred his boar and rode away.

"Link… He…-" Midna said where she hovered beside him now. "-…He spoke."

Link nodded, moving to find a chest containing a red twenty rupee nearby before returning to the main courtyard, saying as he walked back there, "It looks like we have another ally."

"Yes. Yes it does."

* * *

><p>Link returned to the main courtyard, passing the statue on his way to the doors that led into the castle, climbing the steps, killing the birds when they attacked him before going inside after gathering the rupees and supplies to either side of the door, tossing the first small key back into his pouch after using it to get in.<p>

The room was large and dark, so he walked forward cautiously with blade drawn, not surprised when a golden barrier sprang up around him, facing a large group of goblins, then a smaller one of lizards before the rooms chandelier flared to life, moving to the right to climb up a set of steps where he used the clawshot to hook onto the chandelier above, lowering himself down to open the chest below it and retrieve the compass.

Then he used the clawshots to cross over to the next platform and opened the door to go through to the next room.

This room was also in shadow, at least partially, but he could see a dark knight like the one in the Temple of Time waiting for him at the far end, so he drew his blade and stepped forward.

A golden barrier sprang up, and the knight came at him, Link fighting him off the same way and watching the man fall to his knees before him as he died, Link lighting the two unlit torches and blowing the one lit torch out with his boomerang after stepping onto the edge of last platform, riding up to the blue and silver chest that sat in front of two suits of armor above, opening it to collect a purple fifty rupee, taking the path to the left since according to his map of the castle it didn't matter which route he took because they both went to the same place.

He opened one of the double doors there finding himself in a long hallway lined with rich blue carpet, drawing his sword when he saw the two lizards at the end of it, moving forward to kill them both, surprised when the bars over the doors didn't open, something telling him to use his bow to shoot down the second picture on the wall to his left, revealing a deep blue crystal switch, which he then shot with another arrow so that it changed to yellow, the bars lifting up to let him through into the next hallway, seeing the same deep blue carpet, drawing his blade again, walking along one side of the hallway close to the wall so as to gain the attention of one of the two dark knights at a time, knowing that he was no match for the pair without using his secret power, which he was saving for Ganondorf.

He took out first one, then the other, panting a little with exertion as he went through the doors to his left, finding himself back in the front room, though on the second level, collecting the purple rupee in the nearby chest before returning to the hallway and taking the door to his right, surprised to find himself outside on the walls of the castle, walking forward along the rampart, seeing a set of wooden bars raise up ahead of him to reveal a black chest with a red jewel on it's lid, freezing in shock when a group of lizards unexpectedly ran out of the small room toward him, a pair of goblins in the tower above shooting at him, the flaming arrow falling just short of striking him when a hawk flew down from the sky, using his wings to blow it off course before flying up to hassle the goblins, causing them to fall from their tower, an explosion breaking the side of the wall and driving the lizards away with piercing shrieks of outrage.

Link looked down over the side of the broken wall, surprised to see his friends below in the courtyard, watching as the hawk flew down to land of Rusl's outstretched arm with a triumphant shriek.

Auru stood beside him holding the still smoking hand cannon where he knelt on one knee on the flagstones below.

Ashei and Shad stood beside them, all of them looking at him where he stood upon the wall, and Link nodded to them with a grateful smile, watching them as they all nodded back with return smiles before moving away quickly and out of his sight.

Link walked along the rest of the wall to enter the small room, reaching the chest and opening it to collect the big key.

Then he returned to the door, walking up a ramp to the left of it, then down more ramps to reach a second tower, killing the winged lizard that dove down at him with a blood-curdling shriek from where it perched atop the tower, going into the small room to collect another small key, returning to the very top of the ramp to unlock the door there, tossing the key back into his endless pouch before going inside, asking Midna to shift him to his wolf form when he felt something crawling all over him, using his senses to see, shuddering as he killed the ghost rats that were crawling all over him, following the direction if the ghostly warriors to arrive safely on the other side of the room, Midna shifting him back to his human form so that he could ascend the long flight of broken stairs ahead carefully, wary of them crumbling beneath his booted feet.

When he reached the top, a golden barrier surrounded him, and he killed two lizards before continuing upward using the clawshots since these stairs were so broken that he couldn't have even got up any other way, determinedly not looking down, sighing in relief when his feet touch solid ground again, moving forward to kill the two lizards in the room before going up the next set of broken stairs with the spinner, jumping to avoid the spinning blades going up and down the sides of the narrow stairwell on the tracks as he did so.

Link walked forward into the large room to face another dark knight, defeating him easily before proceeding to open one of two locked doors with a small key and go inside.

The room was full of chests and pots containing much money and supplies, including a fairy, an orange one hundred rupee, and a silver two hundred rupee, so Link took it to be the castle's armory, leaving that room to return to the other, stopping for another meal and a brief rest, taking a deep breath before Shielding himself with the Goddess Power and unlocking the large door with the big key, going through it to find himself outside again where a violent storm was brewing, the roaring of the wind almost deafening as the clouds swirled and were torn asunder in the sky above, and Link reflected that Ganondorf must be pissed that he had made it this far even with all his minions and traps, thunder and lightning only adding to the noise as he went forward now, climbing up the left side of the stone stairway with blade drawn and shield held upright, then up another set of steps and into the throne room of Zelda where Ganondorf waited for them.

Midna floated beside Link now as he walked forward cautiously along the path of the deep blue rug along the floor, coming to the severed head of a statue before stopping abruptly as they saw Zelda's unconscious body pinned to the wall high above the thrown within the center of the large golden Triforce symbol there, Midna reaching out a small arm to caution him as he made to move forward with a small gasp, only then seeing Ganondorf sitting on the throne.

"Welcome to my castle," he said then, his voice low and crooning, screaming of danger, the dark, seductive timbre of it's tones causing Link to inhale sharply as his guts felt like liquid suddenly, weak and shaking as images danced through his mind of this man and he wrapped in black silk sheets on a bed of feathers.

Link groaned inwardly at the images, desperately trying to push them away as some dark place deep inside him cried out painfully, greatly desiring of the brutal, dominating fucking that he knew this man could give him, though it would be death for him afterwards, he knew.

Then, Ralis's image rose in his mind, and it gave him the strength to deafen his ears to this monster's voice, making it sound dead and cold to his pointed ears, not warm and inviting as it had before with his evil spell.

"So you're… Ganondorf-," Midna said with a snarl in response to the man's deep, knowing laugh, unaware of the struggle that had passed between him and Link. Ganondorf stood up from the throne then, and Link gritted his teeth as another wave of sexual longing flowed over him when he realized just how large Ganondorf really was, pushing past it as Midna continued to speak. "-I've been dying to meet you."

Ganondorf stepped forward closer to them then, speaking in his low voice and causing Link to shiver visibly even with his shield of resistance, unable to restrain it, his body wanting nothing more then to throw himself forward and hump this man's leg until he came, so evil was his power.

"Your people have long amused me, Midna. To defy the gods with such petty magic, only to be cast aside… How very pathetic. Pathetic as they were, though, they served me well. Their anguish was my nourishment. Their hatred bled across the void and awakened me. I drew deep of it and grew strong again. Your people had some skill, to be sure…but they lacked true power-," he turned his head to look up at Zelda's still form before continuing. "The kind of _absolute_ _power_ that those chosen by the gods wield. He who wields such power would make a suitable king for this world, don't you think?"

"Ha! Such conceit!" Midna snapped out, smirking as she said then, "Link would be the perfect king, except that he has no desire to have that much power at all. But if you are one of the chosen wielders of power, as you claim… I will risk everything to deny you!"

"Shadow has been moved by light, it seems…-" Ganondorf stated with a low laugh of clear amusement. "-…How amusing. A shame he will never love you as more then a friend. Very well… Deny me, then! Yes, try to deny me…-" he said, looking up at Zelda once again. "-You and your little friend…-"

Midna seemed to sense his intentions, and before Link could stop her, she flew up in front of Zelda to try and block his advance, but she could do nothing but watch as Ganondorf reformed himself into twilight energy and dove past her and into Zelda's body, turning and raising her hand to try and stop him, but she was unable to force herself to harm Zelda, crying out as she was flung backward away from the princess to land just outside the entrance to the throne room in a head, her small body frighteningly still.

Link tried to get to her, cursing the face that he hadn't shielded her, too, but a golden barrier sprang up between them, and Link turned reluctantly to face Ganondorf as the bastard floated down within Zelda's body to walk toward him, his appearance menacing as he drew a long, deadly-looking blade from somewhere, and Link spared a precious moment as he spoke to reflect that at least his sex-appeal had dissipated now that he inhabited the princess's all-too-female body.

"-Both of you, faithless fools who would dare to take up arms against the king of light and shadow…-" he laughed cruelly before floating up to hover above Link, sword arm stretched out to his right as he spoke further. "-So you choose. And so you shall feel my wrath!"

He lifted the sword above Zelda's head then, forming balls of yellow energy around the slender, feminine blade, which Link knocked back at him with his blade when Ganondorf tossed them at him, Link striking him once when he missed the energy ball, dodging him quickly when he dove down with blade held straight out, obviously intending to impale him.

Link repeated the process again, then quickly jumped away out of it's range when Ganondorf formed a glowing Triforce of magical energy beneath Link's booted feet, instinctively knowing that it would injure him grievously regardless of his shield, dodging a second one, then striking him with one last energy ball, after which he seemed unable to fight any longer in this form as he fell slowly to the ground.

Zelda's body twitched and contorted as Ganondorf groaned in pain as he watched the golden barrier dissolving to reveal Midna just as she got to her feet.

She donned the other three Fused Shadows, reaching out to take hold of Zelda's body with her power, slamming her back against the throne as she forced him out of the princess's body with her power.

Then she flew to Link's side, leaning against him with a slightly tired smile, Link smiling back briefly, the two of them staring in shock as a dark shadow slowly appeared, Ganondorf's body reforming into that of a giant tusked, hideous beast, and Link was inwardly relieved as he took up his battle stance that Ganondorf was using all of the wrong weapons against him.

Link dodged Ganondorf as he went on a rampage around the throne room, Midna shifting him to his wolf form quickly and taking up her usual place on his back, holding his ground and staring down the beast when it ran at him head on, Midna stopping him with her hair abruptly, throwing him aside onto his side despite his much larger size, Link leaping at him while he was down, claws tearing into his large, vulnerable belly, biting down into his flesh, tearing into him deeper with a vicious sounding snarl as his wolf took over the fight to protect his more vulnerable, emotional human half within.

They repeated this process five more times, though Ganondorf made it somewhat more difficult by using portals to vanish and reappear at will wherever he chose in the large room, also trying to fall on him and squash him beneath his decidedly larger bulk, watching the beast bellow and rage in agony as he reared up onto his back legs in defiance before falling to his belly in front of Link with a loud thump.

Midna shifted Link back to his human form, and together they watched as Ganondorf's physical body burned, smiling at each other in relief before turning back to Zelda as the life-force that she had given to Midna floated back into her body and she woke, blinking open her blue eyes slowly to look at them

"Pr-Princess… I… I…" Midna said softly with a look of some aching pain on her small face.

"Say nothing, Midna…-" Zelda said as she looked down at the floor with the same look of sadness that Link didn't understand. "-Your heart and mine were as one, however briefly…-"

The princess closed her eyes, speaking directly into Midna's mind so that Link could not hear her.

***I know now that he will never be mine, or yours. He loves another, most deeply, and his heart will not be swayed from his Prince. He must never come to know that we love him, Midna. Promise me? He would only torture himself over pain that is not his to bear***

***I promise.. Zelda***

"Such suffering you have endured…"

Midna closed her eyes tightly in obvious pain, her lower lip quivering for a moment before she stiffened it firmly.

Zelda looked at Link briefly then, the three of them turning around with a gasp when Ganondorf's face formed within the nearby flames, Link and Zelda backing up slowly with soft gasps of shock, Midna pulling out the Fused Shadows so that they swirled around her small body.

He knew instantly what she intended, so he stretched out his arm with an anxious gasp, reaching for her almost desperately, his blue eyes pleading with her not to do it.

But he never reached her, his and Zelda's bodies dissolving as Midna sent them through the Twilight portals to safety, smiling up at them as she watched them go.

Then her face turned serious as she donned the Fused Shadows after turning back to Ganondorf, her body taking the form of the twilight spider once more, pulling out the spear of energy now, lifting it above her head and driving it down toward the image of Ganondorf's head in the flames with a roar of triumph.

* * *

><p>Link and Zelda reappeared in the field outside Hyrule Castle, standing there in awkward silence, uncertain what to do now.<p>

Then, they turned quickly to look in the direction of the castle when the very ground that they stood upon shook violently, gasping together as they saw Ganondorf atop his large black stallion, the creature rearing up onto his back legs, the Gerudo thief obviously holding up something in one large hand triumphantly.

He gasped then as he realized that it was Midna's disguise held in his hand, a rage filling Link's entire body such as he had never felt before as Ganondorf crushed it in his big fist carelessly, as though it meant nothing, his hand going to the hilt of the Master Sword as he growled low, but Zelda reached out to place a steadying hand on his arm, causing him to turn to look into her understanding blue eyes.

Then she spoke softly, calling out to the light spirits as Ganondorf rode toward them across the field with ghostly men on horseback trailing along behind him, Link and Zelda vanishing before he could reach them, reappearing in what Link assumed to be the Spirit Realm, since everything was a pure and glaring white.

"Spirit's of the light!-" the princess intoned. "-Wielders of the great power that shines far and wide upon the lands of our world. In my hour of need, grant me the light to banish evil-,"

The four light spirits granted Zelda arrows of light, laying the glowing shafts in her arms, and she smiled at him, though with sorrow and joy mingling in her soft eyes.

He smiled back hesitantly, uncertain of her mood.

"Link…-" she said quietly. "-Chosen hero! Lend us the last of your power!"

Princess Zelda put her right hand over her heart, closing her eyes and bowing to him respectfully, a solemn air about her as she did so.

Link nodded, holding out his left hand to her, and she straightened, placing her right hand in his palm, causing a brief flash of white light.

When his vision cleared, the two of them where on Epona's back in Hyrule field just outside Kakariko village, Link upfront with the Master Sword in his left hand, the reins in his right, Zelda seated behind him with her bow in her own left hand, saying quickly, "I'll try to slow Ganondorf with my light arrows! You target him and keep him within range of my arrows!"

Link nodded shortly, kicked Epona lightly into motion, and they were off.

It took what felt like hours to Link, but eventually they were able to bring Ganondorf low, knocking him from his great horse with a combination of the light arrows and the Master Sword in tandem, watching as Ganondorf pushed himself to his feet and started to laugh, a golden barrier springing up around them to cut him off from Zelda's aid as he spoke to Link harshly.

"An impressive-looking blade. But nothing more. Would you hear my desire? To use this foul blade and blot out the light forever."

Ganondorf drew his own sword then, stepping forward to face Link in the makeshift arena now.

The Gerudo thief was too strong and fast for Link to attack from the front, so he circled around him with his Goddess-fast reflexes, striking him from behind when he could do so, though he soon grew tired as they fought each other without cease, reviving himself with fairies when necessary, finding the jump attack to be useful as well.

Link was panting hard and struggling to breath at this point, sweat dripping from the long strands of his dirty-blonde hair since his hat had slipped off a while back, as well as running down his face, but he stubbornly fought on, unwilling to give up as he thought of all the people depending on him for their very lives, but mostly of Ralis.

His Beloved. He couldn't let Ganondorf win. He had to fight, for them, for their love.

Link made a particularly terrifying scream of defiance and rage at this point in their battle that made even Ganondorf pause before he renewed his assault on Link, their blades clashing, ringing loudly as they came together repeatedly, Link's shoulders aching as he grunted with obvious pain as the large man continued to advance.

Then it was over.

Link's exhausted body was flooded with a burst of energy from on high, reviving him, his skin, hair and eyes glowing with a golden light that was blinding in its intensity, pushing the other man back now with his blade, the man almost retreating before the holy light that his body gave off now, Link striking out at him repeatedly, knocking Ganondorf to his back and raising his arm for the last blow, driving the Master Sword's blade through his stomach, sickened as it stayed there, buried deep inside his body as Ganondorf struggled to his feet, grating out nastily between clenched teeth, "Do not think this ends here… The history of light and shadow will be written in blood!"

"No," Link countered him softly. "It shall be written in love. For you shall die that _he_ may live. This is about _him_, not you. It was always about _him_."

Ganondorf's hand twitched, obviously fighting to stay alive, but then his Triforce symbol went black, his power draining away from him as he realized that Zant was dead, there would be no more power, no more fighting, the man strong enough yet to stay on his feet, remaining so even as he died.

Golden light came from behind them suddenly, Link and Zelda turning to see something in the distance.

Link took off running, leaving Zelda behind as he realized that it was Midna, running to her and throwing his arms around her as she stood before pulling back to look at her, shocked at the dazzling beauty that met his eyes.

This was Midna's true form?

It was beautiful to be sure, but Link missed her other face already.

"What?-" she said teasingly in response to his gob-smacked expression, and he felt the world right itself again. "-Say something! Am I so beautiful that you've no words left?"

"Beautiful, aye," Link teased her right back, his blue eyes shining as they smiled at each other. "Why it's almost enough to make me swear off other men for good."

Midna laughed softly, the sound low and husky. "I'm glad you're alright, Link."

"Me, too. I was really worried for you."

* * *

><p>Zelda, Link and Midna stood beside the Mirror of Twilight together.<p>

"Well… I guess this is farewell, huh?-" Midna said quietly. "-Light and shadow can't mix, as we all know. But… Never forget that there's another world bound to this one."

"Shadow and light are two sides of the same coin…-" Zelda said wisely. "-One cannot exist without the other. I know now the reason the Goddesses left the Mirror of Twilight in this world… They left it because it was their design that we should meet. Yes… That is what I believe."

Midna looked up at her then with a smile.

"Zelda… Your words are kind, and your heart is true. If all in Hyrule are like you and Link… Then maybe you'll do alright.-"

Midna walked over to the steps leading to the Twilight Realm, looking back at Link with a smile, causing him to smile back as she spoke.

-Thank you, Link… Well, the princess spoke truly: as long as the Mirror's around, we could meet again…"

***Link* **Midna spoke in his mind now through their link. ***I'm going to destroy the Mirror. It's for the best. This way it can never be used by those who would harm my people. But you will always by my friend, and so, I give you the gift of your wolf. Keep him, so that you may always carry some Twilight within you. I will allow you the power to shift at will, so that you may use the portals to see me now and then by traveling to my Realm. I wish you to keep this a secret from all but your Love. This is not the kind of thing that needs to become common knowledge, my dear friend. My brother***

***Alright, 'Dina. I promise that I will. Thank you. I.. I would have missed him, and you***

***I know, Link, I know***

"Link…-" she said then, a single tear trailing down her left cheek, using it to put a crack in the Mirror, which soon became many cracks, and Link felt his heart contract in his chest even though he knew that it was only an act, that it had to look real to convince the princess.

"-I… See you later.."

She walked up the steps quickly while Zelda gasped, staring in shock as Midna went through the Mirror back to her world just as it shattered, leaving an empty, broken frame behind.

* * *

><p><strong>P.P.S. If anyone was wondering, Link gets his darker side from his father, Dark, who is one of Midna's people who was given the ability to live in the light world by the Goddesses so that he could live with Link's daddy, Link. Cool, huh? :) <strong>

**Though, he resisted it well when faced with Ganondorf's sexual magnetism, which is the true sign of any hero. :) **

**Also, in my story, Epona, though she's a horse, is the reincarnation of Navi the fairy from Zelda: Orcania of Time, which is why she's so much more intelligent then normal horses. :)**

**P.P.P.S. If you're one of the readers who doesen't appreciate the Orcania of Time story line that I threw into the story, then don't bother reading this next part, you won't like it. Just a warning. :)**

* * *

><p>Link was on his way back to Zora's Domain on Epona, leading Ganondorf's great, shining black stallion by the rope around his neck, though Epona's presence beside him seemed to calm his savage spirit, when the shining wolf and the undead warrior appeared in their path suddenly.<p>

So he pulled the horses to a gentle halt, dismounting from Epona and walking forward toward them, stopping about ten feet away.

The golden wolf threw it's head back and howled, there was a flash of golden light, and when Link could see again, he was shocked to see two men in their place holding hands.

The man that was where the shining wolf had stood wore a forest green tunic and had golden hair and Link's bright blue eyes, and the one that stood where the undead warrior had wore a jet-black tunic, had silver hair and blood-red eyes.

"Um, what-" Link began, blinking when both men moved forward to enfold him in their arms, gasping as images flashed before his eyes, swaying slightly between them as all of his memories returned finally, looking between them both with wide eyes, returning the embrace, holding them tighter as he whispered softly, "Father? Daddy? Oh Goddesses, what- Why- How did you get here? How did I get here?"

"Through Time's River, of course," Dark said in answer smiling at his husband and their son with gentle red eyes.

"What your father means is," the other man said with a smile. "We sent you here. Well, the Goddesses did, anyway."

"But.." Link asked in confusion. "Why? Didn't you want me?"

"Oh, honey, no, of course we love you. And we definitely wanted you with us. But the Goddesses knew that you would be needed here, in this time, to stop Ganondorf, as I did so many centuries ago now, at least according to this time. With the help of your father, of course. The Goddesses also thought that it would be best to take away your memories of us temporarily so that you would be better able to focus on your set task."

"We would have fought them for you," Dark explained to him then. "Kept you with us regardless, but they told us that you would also meet your true love in this time. We could never have denied you that."

"Oh," Link said, looking overwhelmed by all this information in so short a time. "I.. um, thank you, then."

"Of course."

"So did you?" Dark asked him.

"What?"

"Find your true love?"

"Hmm.. Oh, yeah I did. I can't wait for you to meet him. I just know that you'll love him.."


	21. Bonus

**Thank You for your reviews!:  
><strong>

**darkyami1214, Rogue Blade, TheMysticalQ**

**Author's Note:**

**Well, here is the story that started it all! I'm so happy that I can share it with you, at least what I have of it. :)**

**I don't really plan on finishing this, since the one that I just completed is so much better, but it'll give you some more Link/Ralis loving, anyway. :) **

**I just wanted you to see this, anyway, that's all. :)**

**Ralis is a bit more timid in this story. Just a bit. Not way forward like he is in The Prince And Consort Of The Light. :)**

**~Sweet-Hearted SilverEars~ **

**Unconventional Lovers**

"Ralis, this is Link," Ilia said in introduction, as smile on her face as she looked between them both.

Ralis smiled at the slightly taller man, holding out his small, webbed hand to him. "I have heard a lot about you, Link. Thank you for saving me."

Link nodded, taking the offered hand for a moment and shaking it.

Then he was pushed out of the way by the younger children, except Colin, from his home village.

Link opened his mouth as if to speak, then shook his head, pain filling his blue eyes as he slipped quietly out the door of the inn unnoticed by everyone but Ralis.

* * *

><p>Link sat alone in the hidden resting place of the Zora King and Queen, dangling his bare feet in the water, leaning back against the dirt wall to the left side of the gravestone there and closing his eyes.<p>

He had stripped down to his undergarments and swam across, leaving his clothes and gear by the tunnel entrance.

He was surprised when he heard the splash of someone else entering the water, but he didn't open his eyes.

Only one other here in the village besides himself knew of the existence of this place.

He listened as the Zora boy-prince swam over and climbed up beside him.

"Ralis," he stated softly, not moving otherwise.

"Link… Are you.. Alright? Are you hurt?"

"No, I am fine. All my battle wounds are healed. At least until I have to go to the next temple and purge it of evil."

"I don't think that you are fine, Link. Physically maybe, but not all pain is physical."

Link sucked in a sharp breath of surprise, his eyes flying open in response to the boy's words.

"Ralis.. I'm not… I'm just.. Lonely. My friends do not need me unless there's a monster to slay, or someone to save. It hurts, a lot. A hero isn't all that I am, but nobody seems to remember that. I'll be glad when this is all over and I can just be Link again."

"I do understand, Link, and I see you. Do you think that your friends would be fawning all over me if I were not a prince? If I were just Ralis?"

"Probably not, no. I see your point."

"We are more alike then you think."

"Perhaps we are."

"Will you go back to Ordon when you have done everything that you need to?"

"I don't know. It depends on certain factors. I have been back a few times since I left, but it doesen't really feel like home any more. Ordon hasn't changed, I have. It's too small fro me now, and I don't feel safe there anymore. Not since the goblins, the twilight monsters.. It's not like I feel here. It's nice here. Peaceful. Safe. After all this.. After everything that I've done and seen, I don't see how I can go back to herding goats…"

"And Ilia?"

"What about her?" Link asked in puzzlement.

"She is under the impression that when this is all over you are going to marry her and settle down in Ordon."

"_What_?" Link yelped in shock, his blue eyes widening. "That will not be happening."

"Then you don't love her?" Ralis asked curiously.

"Yes, of course I do, but there are many kinds of love. The love of a parent for their children, the love of siblings, of friends. Ilia is like a sister to me. I don't see her as a woman, so I can't love her as a wife. I don't have time to fall in love right now. I have responsibilities."

"Yes, I know. You know you are welcome to come visit me at Zora's Domain anytime. I'm going back there soon, so I probably won't be here when you come back again. My people need me."

"I know they do. Ralis.."

"Yes, Link?"

"You'll be careful, right? I know that you are strong, but.. I can't help but worry for you. I.. I care for you."

"Of course you do. We are friends. I will be fine."

Link nodded, but Ralis saw something in his eyes that looked like disappointment before he hid it quickly behind those blue depths.

"Yes, we are friends."

"Is something bothering you, Link? You know that you can trust me, right?"

"Yes," he answered softly, looking down at his own bare feet. "I do. Ralis, I.."

"Yes?"

"Nevermind," he said, standing up, his eyes turning blank as the emotional moment passed. "I should go. Your water temple needs purging."

"Surely it can wait? A few minutes won't make a difference."

"The sooner I get it done, the sooner I can get on with my life," he explained as they swam back to the other side together, waiting until he dried off again before pulling his forest-green tunic over his head, careful not to snag it on his ears.

He had learned the hard way how much that hurt. Then he buckled his belt around his waist, turning to face Ralis.

"I'll come and see you in Zora's Domain as soon as I'm finished."

"Do you promise?" Ralis asked, blinking in surprise when Link's blue eyes softened with clear emotion at his question as he turned away to enter the tunnel that led back to the main graveyard.

"Yes, I promise. Maybe I'll stick around for a few days, if that's alright? It would be nice to have a bit of a break to heal and rest. I'm sure I'll need it."

"Of course you can, Link. My home is always open to you."

* * *

><p>It had been about five days since Ralis had come back to Zora's Domain and seven since he had last seen Link.<p>

He was starting to get really concerned about him.

What if he was lying hurt somewhere and couldn't get to help?

"Prince Ralis?" the Zora woman, Zita, said quietly as she walked up to stand before his throne.

"Yes?"

"The room that you requested has been completed. We arranged for a Goron to come from Kakariko and move the rock wall behind your throne. He also dug a new pool that comes out here to join the larger one. He only needs to complete the doorway directly behind your throne."

"Excellent. Has the furniture that I requested for it been purchased yet?"

"Yes. It has already been delivered and will be placed within the room as soon as the doorway has been made."

"Good."

"Prince Ralis?"

"Yes?"

"If I may be so bold, why did you insist on the room being finished so quickly? It isn't like you can't just sleep anywhere in here, even underwater if you choose to."

"The room is not for me, though I might choose to make use of it when it isn't needed. It's for Link. He is coming here to visit for a few days after he cleans out our temple for us. Since I do not know for certain how long he will be, I choose to make it my top priority. He saved my life, and he is my friend. He deserves the respect of the people. I want him to feel comfortable and welcome here."

* * *

><p>Link emerged from the water above the temple, gasping in pain as he forced his bruised and battered body to swim toward the spirit's spring, climbing up onto the blue landing in front of the entrance and collapsing onto his stomach as he panted loudly.<p>

Midna popped up out of his shadow, floating in front of him, her small face concerned for him.

"Link, I think that I should take you to Kakariko. Renado can heal you."

"No, please.." Link groaned, shivering with cold from his wet clothing. "Ralis.. Take me to Ralis. I promised him. I promised.."

"But I don't think that the Zoras can care for you like you need."

"Please, 'Dina," Link gasped, his blue eyes clouded with pain. "Ralis.. I promised.."

Then his eyes fluttered closed, his breathing turning harsh in his chest as he lost consciousness.

* * *

><p>Ralis looked up from where he was staring at the ground in front of his throne when he heard a loud splash, gasping as he saw Link's unconscious form floating face up in the water.<p>

He leapt up of his seat, jumping quickly into the pool beside his friend.

He had absolutely no idea how Link had come to be here, but that wasn't important right now.

The man was obviously hurt and in need of medical attention.

He pulled him by the shoulders until he reached the steps leading up to his throne, relieved when two of the strong male guards came and lifted him up carefully.

"Take him to the chamber quickly," he ordered, following them behind the throne and into the other room as they obeyed him, laying him down on top of the soft blankets on the bed and stepping back with uncertain faces.

"Leave us," Ralis said softly. "I will call for you if I need your assistance."

They nodded, moving out of the room to stand on either side of his throne.

The Zora prince placed a hand on Link's forehead, noting that he had a fever but was shivering as though he was cold.

He reached for his belt, unhooking the clasp and removing it from around his waist, setting it and his pouch aside.

Then he pulled off his boots and socks, wincing as Link moaned in pain in unconscious response.

His feet were tinged blue with the cold.

"I know that it hurts, Link, but I have to get you warm and tend to your wounds."

Now that the hero was no longer in the water, Ralis could tell that his face was bruised and blood was seeping slowly through his forest green tunic in several places.

He only hesitated for a moment before he reached under the bottom of Link's tunic to peel his tights and undergarments off his legs as fast as he could without hurting him, tossing them near his boots to be cleaned later.

He was about to remove the other man's tunic as well when Link spoke.

It was so quiet that it was nearly inaudible, but he heard it anyway.

"Ralis.." he whispered, shivering again with cold even though he was still unconscious. "I promised him.. Ralis.. I love you.."

Ralis gasped at Link's words, his sea-green eyes wide as he took an unconscious step back.

Link whimpered, groaning in pain, seeming to become even more agitated.

"I can't help it, 'Dina.. I know that he's just a boy, so young and innocent yet, but I love him, so much.. I just want to hold him, touch him, kiss him.. Why is that so wrong? He's so beautiful.. Inside and out. I can't regret what I feel for him, 'Di, and I shouldn't have to.."

Was this the reason that Link wasn't interested in Ilia? Because he liked other men? Liked Ralis?

It seemed like he was experiencing some pretty major guilt over it as well as stress on top of his pain that he felt like he was alone.

That no one saw Link anymore, just the hero.

He would think more about it later, after he helped him through this.

Ralis felt uncomfortable at the thought of undressing the older man himself, especially after his unconscious confession, so he pulled the soft comforter up so that it covered Link from the waist down before he removed his tunic to reveal the pale, luminous skin of his well-muscled chest.

He had various scratches and bruises, but the thing that Ralis was most concerned about was a thin cut over the ribs on his left side.

It wasn't wide, but it was deep, though the bleeding looked sluggish and appeared to be stopping.

Ralis washed him with a cool, wet cloth, wincing when Link whimpered softly again in pain as he poured water over the cut to clean it out thoroughly.

Then he threaded the small pink bone needle that his mother had given him, stitching it up as gently as he could.

Thankfully Link seemed to relax and quiet at his touch, making it easier for him to take care of him.

He washed his forehead once he was finished, then pulled the covers up over him to his chin so that he would get warm before he withdrew from the room quietly to return to his throne.

* * *

><p>Link woke to the soothing sounds of water flowing over rocks, smiling at the softness that seemed to surround him.<p>

He opened his blue eyes, glancing around in surprise at the room and wondering where he was.

The sheets and comforter that rested on top of him were various shades of light green and light blue.

It was beautiful and peaceful.

It was only when he saw his clothing neatly folded on a nearby chair made of light green coral with his boots and belt beside them on the floor that he realized he was naked under the blankets.

He looked up in surprise when Ralis came through the doorway.

"Link, you're awake. I'm glad."

"Ralis?" he said, licking his dry lips before continuing to speak. "What… Where am I?"

"Zora's Domain, of course. I had this room added on for you."

"For me?" Link asked in shock, gasping in pain, his face turning pale as he attempted to sit up.

Ralis walked to his side quickly, putting his hands on his shoulders to push him back down gently, his sea green eyes disapproving.

"Yes, for you. Don't so that. You still need to heal. You've been asleep for two days. I was worried about you, Link. I'm still worried. You need to be more careful."

"I wasn't prepared. It won't happen again."

"I hope not. I just… You and Colin are my only real friends. I don't want to lose either of you. So please, Link, just be careful."

Link sighed softly, closing his blue eyes and then opening them again.

"I will. Ralis, I.. I need to tell you something. And… I know that you might not want to be my friend once I do, but I need to tell you. I'm in love with you."

He was surprised when the young Zora prince moved to sit beside him on the bed.

"I know, Link, I know. It's alright. I was shocked at first, but I'm fine. Truly."

"How did you find out?"

"You talked while you were unconscious. A lot. Mostly about me. You were talking to someone that you called 'Dina about me. I cleaned out your wounds and stitched up your cut the way that my mother taught me."

"How are you so accepting of my feelings for you? Most people consider it to be wrong even though it's been blessed by the Goddesses for centuries. I don't regret what I feel for you, but I do feel guilty for involving you in those feelings, if that makes sense. You're so young and innocent yet, Ralis.. I know that you might not feel like it sometimes, because you're a prince, but you are."

"Yeah," Ralis said somewhat sarcastically, though Link wasn't offended. "That's me. Young and innocent Zora boy prince who's never even been kissed, but who's parents are dead."

"Oh, Ralis, I'm… I'm so sorry. I wish none of this had happened," he said softly, shivering and pulling the covers closer around himself, tears falling from his blue eyes slowly. "I hate fighting.. I hate what all of this has done to our lives. I hate them. I just want to live without this burden on my shoulders. I want to love you in happier times, Ralis. Times without all this evil and killing.."

"Shh, Link," he said soothingly, moving closer to him on the bed to take his hand in his own webbed on gently. "You will. This darkness can't last forever. Nothing lasts forever."

Link smiled in response, squeezing his fingers with his affectionately.

"Some things do. I will always love you, Ralis, no matter what happens. You are one of the few people that means something to me. The first time that I saw you.. You were dying, and I felt like I was dying with you.. That's why I saved you. Not because Ilia asked me to. For you. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you, even then, before we'd met. I knew that you were special, Ralis, and that if you were gone, this world and I, we would have lost someone very precious an necessary to our very existence.."

"Oh, Link.." Ralis said softly, sighing with happiness as he moved up onto his knees to wrap his arms around the older man gently. "Thank you.. For saving me. For loving me. For wanting me for me, and not because I'm a prince."

Link embraced him back without hesitation.

"Of course. Always. It's you I want, Ralis, only you. Not your title. If you were the poorest boy in Hyrule, still I would love you. It's you that I want to hold and be held by. You that I want to kiss. You that I want to make love to. Only you."

Ralis gasped softly, his eyes filling with moisture quickly.

"Ralis? I'm sorry.. I shouldn't have- It was too much too soon, wasn't it? Maybe I should go."

"_No_!" the Zora boy-prince protested, panic flaring in his sea green eyes for a moment, his tears spilling over now. "No, please, Link, don't leave me.. You need more time to heal, and.. I need you. What you said was beautiful. I want that with you too. Forever."

Link's blue eyes lit up a fierce, almost blinding joy, his face actually glowing with his emotion.

"Ralis.. May I kiss you?.."

Link felt the younger boy tremble against him at the question.

"Alright. Yes. Please."

Link nodded, bringing his hands up to cradle Ralis's head in his palms, moving his own head forward to brush his lips against his gently, his blue eyes tender as he opened his mouth slightly, sucking on the Zora prince's bottom lip lightly, briefly, before pulling back reluctantly.

Ralis smiled at him, and Link released his head, freeing him to move forward and wrap his arms closer around him, laying his head on Link's shoulder and closing his eyes.

"Link?.." Ralis asked softly, snuggling closer to him on the bed.

"Yes?"

"When do you.. When do you plan to make love to me?"

Link blinked, looking surprised at his eager, yet nervous tone of voice.

"When you are ready to take that step with me, not before, Beloved. I swear it on my honor. I would never force you. Besides, I don't think that I have the necessary strength for it just yet, as much as I hate to admit it. I would never want to make you uncomfortable with me, especially that way. All I want you to feel with me is love and pleasure, because that's what I feel when I'm with you."

"I do feel that, Link, I promise. I do want to make love with you, and I know that you need more time to recover. I'm only a little nervous, but I suppose that's normal for virgins."

"Well, if my nervousness is anything to go by, then I suppose it is, too."

"You mean.. You've never?.." Ralis asked in surprise, a slight-blush tingeing his cheeks.

"No," Link answered with a smile. "You are the only one who has ever seen me unclothed."

Ralis blushed again, looking even more embarrassed now. "I.. I didn't see it all. Just.. Just your chest. Did not your parents?"

"No. I never had any."

"But, you had to have had them. Without parents, we would not exist."

"I didn't. I have always been this," Link said, trying to explain something that he didn't understand himself, lifting a hand from around Ralis to gesture at his own body. "I remember nothing else. No childhood. Nothing. Just this. I have always lived alone, on the border of the village where the children live. Alone, like I've always been different. Set apart from the others. I don't understand it myself, but I try not to focus on it much. I'm here now, with you, Ralis, that's all I need. All that I want. My past is over, whatever it was. You are my future. My only desire, my Beloved."

Ralis smiled, his voice a soft sighing sound as he spoke, pressing his lips to the older man's throat in a brief-kiss, his breath caressing his throat and causing him to shiver with pleasure.

"I love you, Link. You're so beautiful.. Inside and out."

"Thank you, Ralis. So are you. Just looking at you takes my breath away."

Amusement lit the Zora prince's sea green eyes at his words. "Even though I'm a fish-boy?"

"Race has nothing to do with it, Ral, it's you. If all that I wanted was a Zora, I could have that easily enough. Several of your guards have approached me about it."

"What?" Ralis asked, his eyes narrowing with disapproval. "It looks like I'll have to have another talk with my people about their behavior."

"What do you mean? You didn't know that some of them prefer their own sex?"

"No, that's not it. Of course I did. After I came back from Kakariko I walked in on several different couples. I gathered them together and told them all that I had no problem with it, as long as they restrained themselves with their lovers when they were on duty together, and that they did not proposition others. If they wish to have a relationship with someone not Zora, they must wait for that other to approach them about it."

"Oh," Link said, putting a hand over his mouth as he yawned.

"You're tired, Link," Ralis said softly, pressing a brief-kiss to his lips. "You need more rest. Sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

"Alright. Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?"

"Of course. Yes. Always."

* * *

><p>Link stretched the next morning in the large bed, opening his blue eyes and smiling as he saw Ralis watching him from a chair by the side of the bed.<p>

He helped Link sit up gently, careful of his bandaged wound as he propped him against the pillows, nodding when Link opened his arms to him invitingly, climbing up onto the bed and laying down beside him, resting against him with his head on his shoulder.

Link smiled, draping an arm around Ralis's shoulders and pressing his lips to his temple impulsively.

"_Mmm_.. Good morning, Ral."

"Good morning, Link. Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, actually. Nearly healed. One of your guards was kind enough to bring me my belt when I asked him for it, so I was able to retrieve and drink one of my healing potions."

"Oh. That's great. Do you think you're up to getting out of this bed? We could go down to the Mother and Child rocks, go for a swim?"

"A swim? Well, maybe a short one. I think I could handle that."

"Alright. You can just wear your undershorts if you like. No one will bother us, anyway."

"Sure," Link said, sitting up, wincing a bit as Ralis helped him up into a standing position beside the bed.

Ralis flushed, not looking down because of Link's unclothed state, but his sea green eyes were determined.

He wanted Link to enjoy the time they were going to spend together before he had to leave to travel to the next temple.

"Can you stand on your own?"

"I think so, but stay close all the same if you don't mind?"

"Of course."

Ralis released his hold on Link's waist, turning his back as the naked hero walked over to the chair and sorted through his clean clothing to find his undershorts, stepping into them and pulling them up, wobbling a bit on his feet as he walked back to Ralis's side.

* * *

><p>Link smiled at Ralis, propped up on one arm where they lay next to each other on the small piece of land closest to the Mother and Child rocks, his blue eyes shining and his long blonde hair still damp from their swim.<p>

He lifted his left hand, touching Ralis's face gently, his other hand twining with the Zora prince's as he leaned closer, brushing their lips together briefly.

Ralis smiled at him when he pulled back, his sea green eyes soft with emotion as he moved to initiate another kiss, this one deepening slowly and causing a whimper to escape Link's lips.

"Ralis," he moaned quietly, trembling and shifting closer to him unconsciously. "Please.."

"Yes, Love? What do you want?"

"Anything. Just touch me. Goddesses, I've waited so long for this, or at least it feels that way, because my love for you is so fierce. So intense. It's like I can't breathe without you, Ral. You make me feel alive."

"Oh, Link.." Ralis whispered against his lips, ending the kiss reluctantly. "Lie back?"

Link nodded, letting go of the boy's hand to lie down on his back in the grass, his lips curving into a smile as he looked up at him.

Ralis smiled back, moving his hands up to hold Link's face, leaning forward to kiss him for a moment, then his hands went to his neck, touching and exploring, causing Link to shiver as they moved down to his chest, admiring his muscles.

He was surprised when Link cried out with pleasure, arching to his hand when he accidentally brushed against his left nipple, cutting off a moan as he then bit his bottom lip.

"Ral.. Oh, Nayru, stop.."

"Why? I can tell that you like it."

"Oh, Goddesses, yes, but.. I'm not sure that either of us is ready yet for where this is going.. And, even if we are, we shouldn't do it here. It's too public. Anyone could see us."

"Let them," Ralis whispered, moving to kiss him again briefly. "Let them see. Let them envy me, for I have your heart, and you have mine."

"_Ralis_.." Link moaned, surrendering with a soft sigh as he twined his arms around his neck, pulling him down gently to kiss him again. "Oh, my love.."

"_Shh_.." the Zora boy said soothingly, adjusting his body on top of Link's to get more comfortable, kissing him back. "I'm here, Beloved, I'm here."

Link shuddered, pulling him closer impulsively.

Ralis gasped softly, freezing like a terrified fish in a net as he felt Link's swollen and hard cock pressed against his lower belly intimately through the suddenly to thin fabric of his damp undershorts.

"Ralis?" Link asked him in concern. "What is it?"

"I-I.."

He sighed, loosening his hold on the boy, letting him slip free when he moved away quickly, feeling his desire vanish at the terror in Ralis's sea green eyes.

"I knew that it was too soon.." Link murmured, pain filling his blue eyes at his Love's rejection anyway. "We're not ready."

"You felt pretty ready to me.." Ralis said, his small body trembling still.

"My ability to respond to you physically has nothing to do with my readiness emotionally. They're two very separate needs. It's okay. I have time. I would wait forever to love you, Ral. You're worth the wait."

"But what if you don't have time? What if you get hurt and.. die, Link? I'd be all alone, and we'd never have made love together. I don't want that to happen. I don't want to lose you.."

"You'll never lose me, my darling. I have no intention of dying, but if I do.. I will always be with you, like your mother and father. You'll never truly lose them, Ral, because they will always be in your heart. Only you can decide when you're ready for more with me. I will never pressure you for anything, for I wish for our love to remain pure and true. I will accept whatever you can give me without asking for more, I promise."

"No, Link," Ralis answered sharply, pain in his beautiful green eyes. "Promise me that you won't leave me. Please. If anything happens.."

"_Shh_, Ral.." Link crooned softly, sitting up and pulling the boy back into his arms gently. "I will be alright, my Love. I will always return to you. I give my word, and soon I will never have to leave you again. I'm looking forward to being your Consort."

Ralis blushed at his words, but he didn't pull away, even moving closer and laying his head on Link's shoulder, closing his eyes.

"I want that, too, Link. I love you."

"As I love you."

* * *

><p>Link woke a few hours later to the feel of Ralis's gentle lips against his.<p>

He smiled, shifting in the bed, a soft, needy sound escaping his lips as his still sleepy brain struggled to function, his hands moving of their own accord to touch and caress the Zora boy's back gently.

"_Ralis_.." he breathed softly, his mind still fuzzy as he shivered, arching and moaning in his Prince's arms. "Oh, sweet Ralis.. _Mmmm_.."

He heard Ralis laugh softly, feeling his Love's small, webbed hands slip beneath the comforter and sheets to touch and explore his bare chest gently, pulling them down to Link's waist for better access.

Link gasped, shuddering as Ralis purposely touched his nipples, squeezing them briefly, causing a soft whimper to escape the hero's lips, then soothing him with gentle touches.

Then he squeezed them again, causing Link to groan loudly, bucking his hips involuntarily.

"_Ralis_! _Oh, Goddesses_, please stop.. I can't- _Uhh_! If you're not willing to go through with this yet, then please stop.."

"I'm not going to stop this time, Link. I want you to love me, and I want to make you feel good."

Link moaned at his words, licking his lips, his voice breathless as he spoke.

"You make me feel better then good, Ral. When you touch me, or even just look at me, it feels _so right_.. There is _nothing _in this world that I need or desire more then you.."

"Not even to be done fighting? For peace to be restored to Hyrule?" Ralis inquired seriously, stopping his gentle, arousing touches for the moment.

"In my mind it's the same thing. When I purge this land of evil, allowing everyone to live in peace, I will be free as well. Free to live my life with you, to put the hero away and just be me again. To share my love, my triumphs and sorrows, and to grow old with you here, Ralis. I love you so much, there are no words to describe it."

"Oh, Link.." Ralis sighed, emotion softening his sea green eyes. "I love you, too."

"Ralis?.."

"Yes?"

"Come here. Please? I want to kiss you."

"Oh. Okay."

Ralis moved to lay beside him on the bed, placing one hand on the back of Link's head, stroking his hair gently, moving closer and draping one arm over his waist.

Link drew him closer tenderly, laying the palm of his hand flat against the Zora boy's back, tilting his head to align their lips, brushing them together briefly, then again, deepening it slowly.

He was shocked, but pleased, when Ralis whimpered quietly and squirmed against him, sucking in his breath sharply when he felt a small webbed hand slid down his back, then beneath the blanket to touch his butt.

Ralis drew back immediately, breaking the kiss reluctantly and meeting his eyes in concern.

"I.. I'm sorry, Link. Do you want me to stop?"

"No," Link almost growled, his blue eyes darkening with displeasure and frustration, though they were still gentle somehow. "Don't apologize, and don't you dare stop. Please, Ralis.. Do it again, darling. Aggression is usually good, as long as what you do doesn't hurt your partner."

"I.. Um, alright," he said quietly, moving his hand back down tentatively, cupping his left cheek in his palm gently and causing Link to shiver with pleasure in response to the touch.

"_Oh goddesses_," Link groaned, gritting his teeth to try and regain control of his rapidly increasing lust. "How do you want to do this, Ral?"

"What do you mean?" Ralis asked in confusion.

"I mean that do you want me to take you on your hands and knees, or beneath me facing me, or on top of me?"

"Does.. does it matter to you?" he inquired softly.

"No, only that it happens. I want you to enjoy it, and so I wish for you to choose the one that would make you feel most comfortable and safe with me."

"I.. I think that I would like to see your face while we make love, but I am not experienced or certain enough to be on top of you yet. I don't.. I don't even know how it works. The Zora princes are only instructed on how to be the Dominant partners in their marriages, but I know already that that does not suit who I am. I do want to give you pleasure, but I think that I can best do that by being pleasured myself. My personality is not very forceful or aggressive. I am not a fighter like you, Link, and though I know little yet of passion's tender secrets, I believe that I will be a good lover to you."

Link barely restrained a moan at the Zora boy's words, pulling him closer, moving their bodies 'till Ralis lay sheltered on his back beneath him, pressing his lips to his neck briefly, resting his forehead on his chest as he spoke softly.

"I know that you will, Ral. Goddesses, just look at yourself. You were born to love and be loved. I am just honored and grateful that you chose me."

"No other has ever approached me because of who my parents were. If they had lived, they would have arranged a marriage on my behalf. As it is, my people must rely on my judgment in choosing a Consort to help me rule them. They trust me, and I know in my heart that I have chosen right in you."

Link sighed, his blue eyes looking dazzled, containing little stars of light as he leaned forward to kiss him again gently, their lips aligning perfectly, as though they had been together for years instead of mere days.

Then he pulled back, leaning their foreheads together.

"I promise that I will love you forever, and that I will help you to the best of my ability whenever you call for me. If you need to get hold of me when I'm not here, then you can send a message by hawk. They know me, but sometimes I can be out of contact for days at a time while I'm purging temples. I wish that I could change that, but there isn't much that I can do."

"You don't have to worry about that," Ralis said quietly. "After we Bond we will be able to speak to each other over great distances. It's the way that our rulers have been kept safe for centuries. If I were to be hurt or captured, you as my Consort will always be able to locate me, and the same for you."

"Really? That's.. Wow. Does the link always have to be open, or is there a way to block it temporarily?"

"I believe it can be blocked, but only to a certain extent. We can block our thoughts from each other if we feel it to be necessary, but the emotions are always there. It's supposed to help keep our union strong. If we always know how the other is feeling, then we know how best to relate to them in that moment so that we don't have any painful misunderstandings."

"That makes sense," Link said softly, moving to kiss him again tenderly.

He moaned quietly in reaction when Ralis's hands came up to curl in his long blonde hair, pulling him closer gently.

"Link.." Ralis sighed against his lips, his eyes fluttering closed briefly, opening again to look up into his eyes pleadingly. "Make love to me.. Please.. Make me yours.."

Link nodded, releasing him and withdrawing from his arms reluctantly, reaching beneath the sheets to remove the last of his own clothing, tossing the plain, white undershorts onto the floor beside the bed.

Then he opened his arms toward Ralis, giving him one last chance to change his mind about this.

He could tell that the boy-ruler was nervous, but all he did was smile and sink into his embrace, pressing his equally naked body to Link's firmly and twining his arms around his neck.

Link sighed in relief, relaxing once again as he kissed him, drawing the sheets up further over them both for warmth, humming against his lips in pleasure.

He gasped when Ralis took his hand and drew it down beneath the covers to place it on his upper left thigh suggestively, breaking the kiss and looking into his sea green eyes inquiringly.

Ralis nodded, his tongue darting out of his mouth to lick his parted lips before he spoke.

"_Do it_," he whispered in a husky voice that sent shivers up his spine. "Please, Link.. I need you. I love you."

Link nodded again, trailing his fingers down to rest between the Zora's legs, blinking as he felt the scales beneath them start to shift out of the way to reveal Ralis's cock.

He started to stroke it gently, smiling when Ralis moaned softly, blushing dark red at his own wanton response.

"Don't be embarrassed, Ral," Link soothed him, still touching and caressing him tenderly. "You look beautiful. Just relax and let it all go. Stress, duty, restraint. All of these vanish when we walk through this door. It will help us both. Promise me this."

Ralis whimpered, moaning again, his back arching in unconscious reaction, instinctively wanting more despite his innocence.

"I p-promise, Link.. _Please_!"

"_Shh_.. Easy, Beloved. We have plenty of time. Spread your legs for me?"

Ralis complied easily, his legs falling open to bare himself to Link's touch, gasping softly and tensing a little when he felt a finger press against his entrance, gentle and testing.

Link frowned in concern, withdrawing the touch to slick up his fingers with some of the lantern oil from a bottle in his nearby endless pouch, placing the single finger back there, dripping some more oil onto his hole carefully.

Ralis jerked, surprised at the brief-splash of warm liquid, but he melted with a quiet sigh as Link touched him again.

Link was relieved that Ralis seemed alright now, eager even as he pressed the finger back to his hole lightly, noting how slick the oil was as the digit slid inside him easily.

Ralis moaned again, his entrance clamping down around Link's finger for a moment, then the muscles fluttered, opening up to him almost as if by magic.

"Oh Nayru, Link.." he whimpered, rocking himself onto his finger instinctively. "Goddesses, I love you.."

"I love you, too, Ralis," he promised, his blue eyes softened with emotion.

He slid a second finger in beside the first, enjoying Ralis's breathy little gasp in response.

He tightened around Link's fingers again, then relaxed, nodding for Link to continue.

"You're okay?" he asked softly, trailing a single finger down the soft-skinned length of his cock gently.

"_Yes_!," Ralis hissed, arching his hips as he nodded again rapidly. "I'm fine. It's okay. Please.."

Link added his last two fingers slowly, feeling more confident that Ralis was enjoying this when he moaned loudly, whimpering and biting his quivering lower lip between his teeth.

"Still alright?" he asked, pressing a brief kiss to his lips, tugging his lip free of his teeth with his own and lapping at it soothingly.

"Yes," he promised. "Better then alright. It feels amazing."

Link gasped in stunned pleasure at his lover's words, feeling Ralis's tongue rasp across his gently, looking at him in surprise.

Ralis smiled, doing it again, his sea green eyes shining with mischief and desire.

Link moaned, moving his hand to the back of the Zora's neck to draw him into a deeper kiss, their tongues entwining intricately.

Ralis broke the kiss reluctantly after a few minutes, starting to scatter soft kisses onto Link's face and neck tenderly.

"Link.. Please.. I can't take anymore. I want you inside me now.."

He nodded, withdrawing his fingers and splashing some more oil into his palm, slicking up his cock thoroughly before moving his hips between Ralis's, looking down at him in silent question.

"Do it," he said quietly, his hands reaching out to grip his soon-to-be-lover's shoulders.

Link placed his hands on Ralis's hips and lined himself up with his entrance, lifting him up off the bed a little to meet him as he slid himself into him easily thanks to the oil.

Ralis stiffened at first, tensing at the unfamiliar intrusion, but he relaxed again with a contented sigh, shivering as Link started to stimulate his cock again, wanting to make sure that he was okay before he did anything more.

He smiled when Ralis moaned loudly, trying to rock his hips up into him, his slender, gentle hands clutching at his shoulders desperately.

"_Please_.." he whispered pleadingly.

Link shuddered, locking their lips together again as he started to move inside him, slowly at first, then faster as Ralis squirmed beneath him with pleasure.

"_Link_.." he whimpered, tilting his head back as the older man pressed kisses to his throat, nibbling on his earlobe gently.

"I've got you, Ral. I'm here," he said softly, still kissing his neck, sucking on it lovingly. "Let's finish it together. Come for me, Ral.."

"_Link_!" he screamed, arching his back sharply as he came quickly.

"_Goddesses_, _Ralis_!" Link hissed out from between clenched teeth, coming hard inside him, withdrawing reluctantly to lay down behind him, pulling him back into his arms gently, both of them trembling as their heart beats calmed and the sweat dried on their bare skin.

Link pressed his lips to Ralis's forehead lightly, snuggling closer against him.

"That.. That was amazing, Link.."

"Oh, Wise Farore, yes.. It was wonderful and beautiful."

"Thank you.."

"No, thank you, Ral. I love you."

"I love you, too."

"_Mmm_.. So, are we Bonded now?"

"Yes. It is done. You are my Consort, Link."

* * *

><p>They made love several more times throughout the night, cuddling together when they slept, the last time when Link woke to find Ralis atop him, his cock sheathed inside the Zora prince as the other man rode him eagerly.<p>

"_Ohh_, _Ralis_!" Link moaned, moving his hands up to place them on either side of his thrusting hips, smiling when Ralis leaned down to kiss him heatedly.

The Zora boy had proven himself to be a giving and attentive lover, despite his former innocence, and Link gave him back everything he gave and more.

Ralis was panting loudly, the gills that were over his ribs fluttering open and closed as he breathed in and out while he rose and fell with the motion of their bodies, more used to being in the water then on land.

He started to move faster, pulling back to nibble and suck on Link's bottom lip gently, causing his Consort to gasp and writhe beneath him, groaning with pleasure.

"_Goddesses_, how are you still so tight?" Link nearly whined, arching up against him, his blue eyes looking hot with desire and need.

"I swim a lot," Ralis answered breathlessly, still moving atop him. "Resilient muscles."

"L-Lucky me," Link managed to tease him despite his trembling body and shaky breaths.

"No," Ralis almost purred, his sea green eyes mischievous as they stared down into his. "Lucky me.."

Link gasped softly, twisting beneath him, his blue eyes wide as he convulsed, coming inside his lover with a faint scream.

"_Uhhh_, _Ralis_!" he screeched, clinging to the Zora boy as he came as well. "Din, you're amazing.. I love you.."

"I love you, too," he promised, lifting himself off of his cock with a wet sucking sound that made them both blush a little in reaction.

Link cleaned himself and Ralis with a nearby damp cloth in a shallow basin, then tossed it into the water and drew him back into his arms, kissing his forehead lovingly and holding him close until they drifted back to sleep peacefully.

* * *

><p>"I have to go, Ralis," Link sighed, his arms around the other man's waist as he drew him closer, pressing a kiss to his lips briefly.<p>

"I know. I do not want you to leave, but I know. I love you, Link."

Ralis's soft lips parted under his with a whimper, the Zora boy's fingers moving to his shoulders to curl into the fabric of Link's forest green tunic, pulling him closer unconsciously.

Link shuddered, moaning into the kiss, ending it reluctantly before it went to far.

"_Goddesses_, _Ral_… I need to go. If we keep this up we'll end up in bed again all day. As wonderful as that would be, I can't."

Ralis nodded, grinning a bit, resignation in his sea green eyes as he move to kiss Link on the cheek lovingly.

"I know. Please be careful and come back to me."

"I promise," Link said softly, brushing their lips together again briefly. "I will always come back to you, my one and only. Will you promise me something in return?"

"Anything."

"Be safe, my darling. I would not lose you."

"You'll never lose me, Link. I promise to be even more cautious then before."

"Good. One more thing."

"Yes?"

"Look after my heart for me?"

"Of course. And you after mine?" "Always," Link answered, tightening his arms around him for a moment before releasing him reluctantly, closing his piercing blue eyes and pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Farewell for the moment, Ral. I'll be back as soon as I can. I love you."

"As I love you. Don't take any unnecessary risks?"

"I promise I won't. You?"

"I promise as well."

"Good. See you soon, lover," Link said, his voice like a whisper on the breeze as he kissed him again lovingly before turning to leave.


End file.
